I don't know if any of you guys have come across this saying in rural Karnataka, about Kuruba Gowdas and Golla Gowdas(Yadavas). Interestingly about 10 yrs ago I was working in a Dental college and there was a professor of Surgery called captain Dr Amarendra(more about him in later blogs), he was also the head of the department. A very interesting and learned man, with a good range of knowledge on varying subjects including politics and social sciences.
During one of the interactions with him I came across this saying, he told me that Kuruba Gowdas can never be united as it is in their genes to fight among themselves if they get together and the example he gave me was politics, Kuruba Gowdas being probably the second largest community in Karnataka had only about 4 or 5 elected Members of Legislative Assembly(MLA). He told me that our ancestors for no reason wouldn't say the above saying. He said they would have observed our community for ages before coming up with this saying.
When analysed logically this could be true. Kuruba Gowdas traditionally have tended sheep's and they take hundreds of sheep's together and go into the forests, with maybe a dog to watch over them and a few sheep in the herd. Sheep generally tend to stick together and are easy to control and they don't tend to stray too far. Sheep can live with minimal grass availability and can scrape through to even the last blade of grass. So it makes sense for one person to lead his herd of sheep into the grazing fields and back home. Again its sometimes difficult to keep a tab on all the sheep, so its better off that different herds of sheep stay with one person at different places which makes sense.
Where as Golla Gowdas have to tend for the cows, which is a more difficult job then tending the sheep. The cows are much larger, difficult to control, need more food to sustain them and the herds are not as large as the sheep herds. So it makes sense that a group of Golla Gowdas bring all their cows together into one single herd and go for foraging in the grazing fields. They have more eyes watching over any animal straying away and also it is easy to identify the cows at the end of the day and split them into their individual groups.
Maybe this over hundreds of years has developed into a genetic aspect of all Kuruba Gowdas, they tend to prosper when they are alone, but tend to fight when they come together. I feel its about time we reversed this genetic trait and move forward into a new future together.
During one of the interactions with him I came across this saying, he told me that Kuruba Gowdas can never be united as it is in their genes to fight among themselves if they get together and the example he gave me was politics, Kuruba Gowdas being probably the second largest community in Karnataka had only about 4 or 5 elected Members of Legislative Assembly(MLA). He told me that our ancestors for no reason wouldn't say the above saying. He said they would have observed our community for ages before coming up with this saying.
When analysed logically this could be true. Kuruba Gowdas traditionally have tended sheep's and they take hundreds of sheep's together and go into the forests, with maybe a dog to watch over them and a few sheep in the herd. Sheep generally tend to stick together and are easy to control and they don't tend to stray too far. Sheep can live with minimal grass availability and can scrape through to even the last blade of grass. So it makes sense for one person to lead his herd of sheep into the grazing fields and back home. Again its sometimes difficult to keep a tab on all the sheep, so its better off that different herds of sheep stay with one person at different places which makes sense.
Where as Golla Gowdas have to tend for the cows, which is a more difficult job then tending the sheep. The cows are much larger, difficult to control, need more food to sustain them and the herds are not as large as the sheep herds. So it makes sense that a group of Golla Gowdas bring all their cows together into one single herd and go for foraging in the grazing fields. They have more eyes watching over any animal straying away and also it is easy to identify the cows at the end of the day and split them into their individual groups.
Maybe this over hundreds of years has developed into a genetic aspect of all Kuruba Gowdas, they tend to prosper when they are alone, but tend to fight when they come together. I feel its about time we reversed this genetic trait and move forward into a new future together.
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