News: Recently , President Droupadi Murmu expressed happiness that the Siddi tribal community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, has achieved a literacy rate of over 72 per cent.
About Siddi Tribal Community
- The Siddi are an ethnic group in India and Pakistan with African roots from the Bantu community.
- They are also called Sheedi, Sidi, Siddhi, Habshi, and Badsha.
- History: They are believed to have first come to India in the 7th century with Arab merchants.
- In the 16th century, they arrived with the Portuguese and the British, largely as slaves.
- Geographic distribution: They are scattered across Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Tamil Nadu, often in isolated villages and interior forests,
- Status in India
- In 2003, the Union government classified Siddis under the list of Scheduled Tribes.
- They are included in the Centre’s list of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- Cultural contribution
- The Siddis are known for folk music and dances such as Dhamal and Rasda, with men performing the Dhamal dance.
- Percussive instruments like the dammam, duf, and gumte are popular among men and women.
- Religion:
- They practise different religions, such as Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, but some cultural practices and rituals are shared.
- Irrespective of religion, almost all are devotees of the deity Yallamma and may worship pu or at home.
- Language used: This tribe speak either Konkani, Urdu or Marathi as their main language
