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{{short description|Indian caste found in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox caste
|caste_name=Mala
|religions={{Hlist|[[Hinduism]]|[[Christianity]]}}
|ethnicity=[[Telugu people|Telugus]]
|languages=[[Telugu language|Telugu]]
|populated_states=[[Andhra Pradesh]]{{*}}[[Telangana]]{{*}}[[Karnataka]]
|population=
}}

'''Mala''' are a [[Dalit]] community of agricultural labourers from the [[India]]n [[States and union territories of India|states]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]] and [[Karnataka]]. They are considered as [[Scheduled Caste]]s by the [[Government of India]].

==History==
Malas are said to be ''Hill Warriors'' and they were raiders and warrior for [[Polygar]]s of [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Omvedt|first=Gail|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=leuICwAAQBAJ&pg=PT64|title=Dalits and the Democratic Revolution: Dr Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement in Colonial India|date=1994-01-30|publisher=SAGE Publications India|isbn=978-81-321-1983-8|language=en}}</ref>

In the 12th century, [[Palanati Brahmanaidu]], the minister of [[Palnadu]], adopted Kannamma Dasu, a Mala, who took part in the Battle of Palnadu and got martyred. His descendants were called Mala Dasulus who became head priests of Chennakesava Swamy Temples.<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Andhra Village, Ten Generations of Dalit Priests Offer a Lesson on Social Harmony|url=https://thewire.in/caste/dalit-priests-andhra-pradesh-uppuluru|website=thewire.in|language=en|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref>

In the 19th century, many Malas, especially in [[coastal Andhra]], converted to Lutheranism after the arrival of Christian missionaries.

In 1917, [[Bhagya Reddy Varma]] & [[Arige Ramaswamy|Aringe Ramaswamy]] organised [[Adi Andhra|Adi-Andhra]] movement led Malas alongside [[Madiga]]s to be part of Dravidian ideology. In the census of 1931, about a lot of them mentioned their castes as [[Adi Andhra]] and were officially included into the list list of Depressed Classes in 1935 Govt. of India Acts and later got carried in 1950 Constitution of India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Saga of Dalits' assertion|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/archive/saga-of-dalits-assertion-648789|last=Service|first=Tribune News|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref>

With the advent of the Green revolution, Kammas, who had bought up lands from the erstwhile Brahmin landlords, had turned to commercialized agriculture and became very prosperous. However, the landless Dalits (mainly Malas) and backward classes still faced dire circumstances. Dalits were unable to obtain land, or quality education. Starting in the 1980s with the political ascendancy of the Kamma community, Malas and other Dalits became the targets of violence with increasing frequency and brutality. After the [[Karamchedu massacre]], during which 6 Dalits were slaughtered by Kammas, the Dalit Mahasabha (DMS) was formed in 1985. Influenced by Ambedkarite and Marxist thought, the Dalit Mahasabha, with charismatic leaders such as Katti Padma Rao and Bhojja Tarakam sought the annihilation of caste and untouchability through social transformation, very different from the Gandhian ideals of "upliftment." Their demands also included true land reform. A boost to their organization occurred after the brutal [[Tsundur massacre]] of 1991, where Reddy’s slaughtered 8 Malas. However, the movement was weakened when Rao sought to enter electoral politics.<ref name=":0" />

== Politics ==
When the [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] and [[Samajwadi Party]] won the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 1993, it gave hope to Rao that a similar victory could be achieved in Andhra Pradesh. However, because of this, the movement split: with Rao leading a faction favouring political influence and Tarakam leading a separate faction. Rao's dreams were shattered by the assembly elections of 1994, where the TDP promised a slew of populist schemes to counter the mobilization of subaltern castes and won decisively.<ref name=":0" />

Tarakam opposed the 'Madiga Dandora Movement' in 1990s related to categorisation of the Scheduled Caste quota and denied allegations of snatching major share of caste quotas and established 'Mala Mahanadu' to counter its demands. However, the CBN government, sensing an opportunity to divide the Dalits, established a commission which recommended sub-categorization of SC quota. This infuriated the Malas and inexorably divided the Malas and Madigas, so that a united Dalit movement would be less strong than earlier.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Still|first=Clarinda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TEcrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39&dq=adi+andhra+movement+mala+caste#q=adi%20andhra%20movement%20mala%20caste|title=Dalit Women: Honour and Patriarchy in South India|date=2017-07-06|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-351-58819-5|language=en}}</ref>

==Culture==
The Mala of Andhra Pradesh are considered a right-hand community, whilst the Madiga of the region are the left-hand.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gudavarthy|first=Ajay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJyHAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA125|title=Politics of Post-Civil Society: Contemporary History of Political Movements in India|date=2013-01-24|publisher=SAGE Publications India|isbn=978-81-321-1322-5|language=en|page=125}}</ref>

==Distribution==
According to Government of India census data from 2001,<ref>{{cite web|title=Tables on Individual Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST),2001|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_andhra.pdf}}</ref> Malas constituted 41.6 percent (5,139,305) of the [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Castes (SC)]] population in the then state of Andhra Pradesh, which has subsequently been bifurcated by the creation of [[Telangana]] state.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tables on Individual Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST),2001|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_andhra.pdf}}</ref>

They are also classified as a [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Caste]] in [[Karnataka]].<ref>http://rdpr.kar.nic.in/document/3.LIST_OF_SC%26ST.pdf</ref>

==Mala Christians==
{{see also|Telugu Christian}}
A significant section of the Mala, and almost all in Coastal Andhra, turned to [[Christianity]] but after noticing the similar caste politics in the Telugu [[Catholic]] church, shifted to [[Protestantism]] instead. They are mainly prominent in the [[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church]] (AELC) and [[Church of South India]] (CSI).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Prabhakar|first=Anuparthi John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d040DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT55&dq=mala+caste+christian+lutheran#q=mala%20caste%20christian%20lutheran|title=Preaching Contextually: A Case with Rural Dalits in India|date=2016-10-06|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-945926-85-3|language=en}}</ref>

They made good use of the Christian educational programs, elevating some of their social position and now form part of the lower middle class. These Christian Malas are commonly called ''Merugumala'' people, who came from [[Krishna Godavari Basin|Godavari Krishna]] basin. They falls under, "[[Other Backward Class|Backward Classes]] -C" category with 1% Reservation at state level and at national level they come under [[Other Backward Class]].<ref>{{cite web|last=List of OBC's|first=Andhra Pradesh State|title=Central list of other backward classes|url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Pdf/andhrapradesh.pdf}}</ref>

They have been demanding central Government to accord them SC status on par with [[Dalit Buddhist movement|Dalit Buddhists]], Dalit Sikhs and not to discriminate them on religious grounds for being [[Dalit Christians]]. The case related to their demand is pending with the Supreme Court of India since 2005.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Tiwari|first=Ravish|date=2015-11-04|title=Dalit Muslims, Dalit Christians & quota: What is it all about?|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dalit-muslims-dalit-christians-quota-what-is-it-all-about/articleshow/49651516.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Resolution seeking SC status to Dalit Christians passed|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/070219/resolution-seeking-sc-status-to-dalit-christians-passed.html|date=2019-02-07|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Malas]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Pai |first=Sudha |editor-last=Kumar |editor-first=Ashutosh |title=Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions within Regions |year=2011 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415597777 |pages=352–377 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ypKoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA352&dq= |chapter=Affirmative Action, Group Rights and Democracy: The Mala-Madiga Conflict in Andhra Pradesh}}

[[Category:Dalit communities]]
[[Category:Telugu society]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Telangana]]

Mala (caste) - Revision history

imported>ChandlerMinh at 08:09, 19 August 2021