 |
 |
Government Memos on Settibalija Caste |
| Settibalija Reservation Status in Telangana State Dated 11.03.2015 |
GO Goud-Settibalija |
GO Settibalija Caste - Instructions to Tahsildars  |
Certificate issue GO Settibalija Caste  |
Settibalija people are derived and referred from "Ediga" Caste in olden days , whose main occupation is Toddy Tapping from Palm Trees ("Tati Cheetu" in Telugu). The other names are Goud, Srisayna, Yata.
Most of the half of the 18th century, india is partially covered with poverty and malnutrition. There are lack of Roads, No Transportation, Few or very less Medical Facilities, Agriculture fully dependent on rain due to lack of irrigation structure and methods, indefinite typoons, child deaths, Maternal deaths. Agriculture is used to be treated like top job for majority of population and it is dependent on monsoon only as there were no dams, no reservoirs. Many of the kingdoms were ruled by collecting huge taxes from people to build their forts and army. Kings used to concentrate on wars and expanding their kingdoms was their main goal. They never used to bother the people and their needs. The castism was given high importance. The people with higher castes usually got broader benefits from the kings as they got their reach to the administration.
Only four castes is to be dominated and all other castes(roughly around 500) suffered in the expense of higher castes and the higher being brahmins. Scheduled Caste (harijans) and Tribes used to be treated less than a animal and were not allowed to move in public places, just like apathy period in south africa where whites were treating blacks. The education is not available to many of the lower castes and it is banned for Scheduled Caste and Tribes and also brahmins created a caste boundery to the lower castes and used to make circular that they will lose eye sight if harijans are allowed to study.
In this time britishers entered into india with trading and started their occupation by invading various kingdoms, and thus introduced technology into indian continent. A New Era was started by this time, they introduced Railways, Constructed Dams & Ports and Started Schools even allowing lower caste people to study who can afford. Even Burma is under british rule by this time and their is free trade and manpower movement between India and Burma. Many unemployed people got opportunity to work in burma and later on to do business there by the time from 1880 AD.
In 1900 AD one of Cheiftain/Businessman from our community living in Burma, Sri Dommeti Venkata Reddi garu, hails from Bodaskurru Village in East Godavari District, Souther India was doing business contracts on trading in ports. His Company used to hire many steamers to export from burma. Many of the fellow indians and our community people working in burma did not have education and majority were poor at this time in india, so he thought, education is important to make survival in the caste dominated society. In these thoughts and discussions, for the first time in 1905 AD he organised a meeting for settibalija community people in Burma and established "Settibalija Sankshema Sangam" meaning Settibalija Welfare Organisation. Through this organisation education was the important to drive amoung the community people. Organised Primary Schools, Night Schools and Training of skills to our community bothers. So after 15 years of Welfare works & large settibalija community in burma he introduced the same community in East Godavari in the year of 1920 September 25. A Big meeting was organised on this day in Bodaskurru, Amalapuram Mandal and more than 10000 people were gathered from Krishna, Vishakapatnam, East and West Godavari districts. In this meeting Sri Dommeti Venkata Reddi garu as President, Sri Gubbala Rammmana garu as General Secretary and other 71 members as Community Members were elected and Krishna, Vishaka, East and West Settibalija Community were Registered as Society Act in 1/1927. The main aim for this Sangam is to prosper education and assist stipends for community people and he donated Rs 10,000 from his funds. By 1940 a amount Rs. 40,000 was collected from burma and from our community peopel and organised the amount to use for the welfare of our community. The Scholoarships were presented every year who they have applied to the organisation. In this era, 100 kg bag of rice used to be Rs.5 or 6. Due to his vision and initiation, This movement made to introduce the education into our community people who helped to live in better conditions where caste was ruling as a dominant society. Over the period of time the community has produced judges, sub-collectors, tahsildars, teachers and other state and central employees.