Abstract

Kasi Eswarappa

Social exclusion is something that can happen to anyone, more so in the case of hierarchical societies of South Asian countries. But some people are significantly more at risk than others, due to its persistent nature of locational and environmental per se. Research has found that people with certain backgrounds and experiences are disproportionately likely to suffer social exclusion. The key risk factors include: low income, family conflict, being in care, school problems, being an ex-prisoner, being from an ethnic minority, living in a deprived neighbour-hood in urban and rural areas, mental health problems, age and disability. The present paper deals with the Sugali, an ex-criminal tribe in Andhra Pradesh, South India. The processes of inclusion are explained by using the various affirmative actions initiated by the agencies (government and NGO’s) in order to mitigate the problem of exclusion and also marginalization. The present paper is an outcome of an ethnographic field work conducted among Sugali, a semi-nomadic community, in Penukonda Revenue division of Andhra Pradesh, South India. The paper is based on the empirical data collected from Adadakulapalle settlement over a period of 2005 to 2006 and 2007 to 2008 as part of my Ph.D. work. It is basically a qualitative micro-level study aimed at understanding the livelihood systems of the Sugali community. In order to fulfil the objectives of the paper, qualitative anthropological tools and techniques, for instance, observation (participant and non-participant type), interviews (formal and informal) using detailed checklist, key-informant interviews, case studies, focus group discussions, etc., are employed. These are mainly observation (participant and non-participant type), interviews (formal and informal) using detailed checklist, keyinformant interviews, case studies, focus group discussions, etc. The paper based its arguments on how the inclusive processes of the agencies have helped semi-nomadic community to overcome the exclusive processes of the dominant in a tribal settlement in South India.