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{{Short description|Indo Aryan caste and ethnic group from South India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}
{{infobox ethnic group
| group = Reli people
| image =
| caption =
| population =
| popplace = [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]], [[Odisha]], [[West Bengal]], [[Chhattisgarh]]
| langs = [[Reli language|Reli]], [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Hindi]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]]
| related =
}}

'''Relli'''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murti |first=Kamakshi Pappu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_45LEAAAQBAJ&dq=Relli+caste&pg=PT74 |title=Bandilanka's Forgotten Lives |publisher=Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-5458-595-1 |language=en |quote="The Relli thought they were so superior! They gathered fruit and sold them. And that gave them the right to steal all the Government benefits. Not that this Government does much for the likes of us. He spat as he thought of the government. It was always the same, always the same unending misery and hunger."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHeuC65ii6wC&q=Relli+caste |title=People of India: Odisha (2 pts.) |date=1992 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-294-1 |pages=1302 |language=en |quote="THE RELLI The Relli do not have any other name or synonym . They use their caste name as their surname . They do not have any sub - caste . It is said that when Rama was in exile, the forefathers of the community met Rama, Laxman and ..."}}</ref> (also '''Reli''', '''Relly''', or '''Raily''') are an [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-aryan]] ethnic group and caste who reside in the [[States and union territories of India|states]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]], [[Odisha]], [[West Bengal]], and [[Chhattisgarh]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Malik |first=Suratha Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DbjrDwAAQBAJ&dq=reli+caste&pg=PA133 |title=Land Alienation and Politics of Tribal Exploitation in India: Special Focus on Tribal Movement in Koraput District of Odisha |date=2020-06-15 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-15-5382-0 |pages=133 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/rei|title=Reli|work=Ethnologue|access-date=2018-05-31|language=en}}</ref> They are classified as a [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Caste]].<ref name=":0" />

== Demographics ==

The Relli people are mainly distributed in coastal districts, such as [[Srikakulam district|Srikakulam]], [[Vizianagaram district|Vizianagaram]], [[Vishakhapatnam District|Visakhapatnam]], [[East Godavari district|East Godavari]], [[West Godavari district|West Godavari]], [[Krishna district|Krishna]], [[Guntur district|Guntur]], [[Prakasam district|Prakasam]], [[Nellore district|Nellore]], and [[Chittoor district|Chittoor]] of Andhra Pradesh, [[Jagdalpur]] of Chhattisgarh and the [[Koraput district|Koraput]], [[Nabarangpur]], [[Rayagada district|Rayagada]], [[kolkata]], [[Howrah|Howrah, Howrah Maidan]], [[Salkia]], [[Shalimar]], [[Mominpur]], [[Titagarh]], [[Khardah]], and [[Bandel]].

According to the 2001 Census, Relli and Mehtar's population is 206,053 in [[Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014)|Andhra Pradesh]], 37 in Chhattisgarh, and 8,357 in [[Odisha]] respectively. Rellis constitutes 1.67% of the total Scheduled Caste population of United Andhra Pradesh in 2001.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Jammanna |first1=Akepogu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kOa2DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA222 |title=Dalits' Struggle for Social Justice in Andhra Pradesh (1956-2008): From Relays to Vacuum Tubes |last2=Sudhakar |first2=Pasala |date=2016-12-14 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-4496-3 |pages=222 |language=en}}</ref>

== Occupation ==

The primary occupation of the Relli people in Andhra Pradesh is the collection and sale of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and grass. Some are labourers and [[Manual scavenging|manual scavengers]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-04 |title='They Want us to Clean their Shit, But Won't Respect Us': Manual Scavenging is Rooted in Casteism |url=https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/they-want-us-to-clean-their-shit-but-wont-respect-us-manual-scavenging-is-rooted-in-casteism-1897305.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=[[News18]] |language=en}}</ref> A few are in [[government service]] while the Relli of Odisha and Chhattisgarh trade in salt, rice, vegetables, goats, and hens on a small scale. Agriculture is also pursued. They are listed as [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Castes]].<ref name=":0" />

== Language ==
Relli people speak the [[Reli language|Relli language]] as their [[Mother-tongue|mother tongue]] and is close to Odia. The Relli people speak the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] language in Andhra Pradesh when conversing with outsiders. The Relli people speak the [[Hindi]] language in Chhattisgarh and In kolkata Bengali language

The 2001 Census stated that there were 21,238 speakers of the [[Reli language|Relli language]] in Andhra Pradesh, 37 in Chhattisgarh, and 4014 in Odisha. Further breakdown to the district level is as follows (2001 Census): [[Vizianagaram district|Vizianagaram]] (AP) 7,893; [[Visakhapatnam]] (AP) 4,301; [[East Godavari district|East Godavari]] (AP) 3,079; [[Krishna district|Krishna]] (AP) 3,085; [[Srikakulam district|Srikakulam]] (AP) 1,796; [[Guntur]] (AP) 597, [[Koraput district|Koraput]] (OD) 1607; [[Rayagada district|Rayagada]] (OD) 907 and [[Nabarangpur district|Nabarangpur]] (OD) 1500, in Odisha, [[Jagdalpur]] (CG) 37, in [[Chhattisgarh]].

== See also ==

* [[List of Scheduled Castes in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* 2001 Census of India. Scheduled Caste http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/SCCRC_28.pdf (01- Feb-09)
* Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version:
* People of India http://fttkorea.net/docu/ftt57aap.pdf (01-Feb-09)
* Singh, K.S. 2003. People of India: Andhra Pradesh Vol13 Part 3. Delhi: Anthropological Survey of India and Affiliated east-west press pvt. ltd.
* Singh, K.S. 1993. People of India National Series. Volume 2. The Scheduled Caste. Delhi: Anthropological Survey of India and Oxford University Survey of India.
* Chenna Sanyasi Rao, Relli Charita, "రెల్లి చెరిత" (History of Rellis), Published by Dharma Trust, Visakhapatnam, 1999. Distributors: Visalandhra Publishing House, Hyderabad.
* Chenna Sanyasi Rao, Vuravatala Suriedu, "ఊరవతల సూరీడు" ( "Sun on the other side of the village), Anthology of Poems. Published by, Progressive Writers Association, Visakhapatnam, 2000. Distributors: Visalandhra Publishing House, Hyderabad.
* Mangalagiri Prasada Rao, "Dalitullo Dalitulu", "దళితుల్లో దళితులు" (the wretched among the wretched), Published by Sri Mangalagiri Siriyallu Mater Seva Trust, Visakhapatnam, 2012.

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[[Category:Ethnic groups in Odisha]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:South Indian communities]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples of South Asia]]

Relis - Revision history

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