Spread across a few districts in central Karnataka and a few places in north Karnataka, Dakkaligas are a small community. There are 462 families with a population of about 1,800, as per the private survey conducted by people of the community. A good number of families are in Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Vijayanagara districts.
“There are hardly a few graduates and four government employees from our caste,” says Shantharaju, president of Karnataka Dakkaligara Sangha. He stays at Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru district and runs a tuition centre for students of the community.
The people of the community seek alms from Madiga community people, who are a Dalit ‘left’ caste. “Our families have been allotted places where we can seek alms. We are dependent on Madigas for our livelihood. When we go to their village, they provide us with food for a couple of days. And, in some places, they ask us not to enter their colony,” said Shantaraj.
