The Siddis of Karnataka: Religiosity, Africanity and the Struggle Against Discrimination

Abstract

In the interior of Karnataka state, in the region’s small villages or dense forests, live several thousand Afro-descendants. These Siddis, as they are called, have generally been treated with contempt by non-Siddi Indians living in the surrounding area. The population is divided into three religious groups: Christian, Hindu and Muslim. It was only as part of the struggle against discrimination that formerly entrenched boundaries and senses of belonging started to be challenged and redefined and new perspectives of identification emerged, including the connection with African diasporic networks. This article seeks to analyse the role played by religious factors in Siddi lives, how they have helped or hindered the struggle to obtain specific rights, and how the population has been affected in this process. Hence, the relationship between religion and caste and between religion and “race” will also be explored.