Paper short abstract:

The Sugali of Anantapur District in rural Andhra Pradesh have traditionally been associated with cattle herding as accentuated by their nomadic way of life. Forced out migration, lack of natural resources in their habitat, a strong sense of self identity and a near alienation from the ambit of development policies, have forced the Sugali to take up lower-end menial jobs.

Paper long abstract:

The present paper tries to locate the contemporary discourse of livelihood among the Sugali within the broad contours of their cultural life with belief structures on one side, and the various forces of modernity on the other. By doing so, the paper tries take into account the mechanisms that enable the Sugali to bring about a plausible negotiation between the fast depleting livelihood opportunities and the deep rooted beliefs and practices that have their own ramifications when it comes to their overall socio-economic status. For this purpose the researcher makes use of life-course approach to bring to the fore the intricate mesh of inter linkages that underlie their livelihood patterns and the various factors that determine these inter linkages.