A voice for forgotten history—a written testament to marginalized lives. In history, some names are inscribed in letters of gold, and the triumphs of certain communities are recounted across generations. Yet, the suffering, humiliation, and tears of certain caste communities fail to find a place in the pages of history; they fade away at the margins of official reports. They are recorded merely as statistics rather than recognized as human lives.
The history of Nomadic Tribes (NT), Semi-Nomadic Tribes (SNT), and Denotified Tribes (DNT) is one such forgotten history.
This work is not merely a research book; it is an echo of voices unheard for generations. It is a written record of silently endured suffering and a testament to the injustice inflicted by history.
I am T. Ramanjulu. I write this book not only as a writer, researcher, and social activist but also as someone who belongs to a DNT/NT community. Consequently, the discrimination, humiliation, and struggle for recognition discussed here are not merely subjects of study for me; they are the lived realities of my community—events I have witnessed and tales of sorrow I have heard.
Since childhood, a question has haunted me:
“Why, even seventy-five years after independence, do certain caste communities still find themselves in a position where they must prove their very existence?” Why do children from certain DNT, NT, and SNT communities still lack access to quality education?
Why do so many families still live without land, stable employment, or social security?
Why must some communities still submit petitions to the government to reclaim their historical dignity?
I did not seek answers to these questions merely by reading books. I went among the people. I visited villages. I spoke with people from various DNT and NT communities listed under the Backward Classes (BC) category. I sat in their homes and observed their lives up close.
What I witnessed there was not statistics—but lives.
Even today, some families struggle to earn a daily wage.
Children are forced to drop out of school.
Youth from DNT and NT communities are migrating in search of employment opportunities.
Some elderly individuals live without official recognition or access to welfare schemes.
Although decades have passed since the legal label of "Criminal Tribes" was removed, the social stigma has not fully vanished. Children belonging to communities once branded as criminals still grow up under a cloud of suspicion. Their lives remind us of the profound impact that historical injustice has on successive generations.
Classifications such as "Depressed Classes," "Exterior Castes," "Untouchable Castes," and "Criminal Tribes"—devised by British rulers—were not merely administrative terms. These were structures of authority that impacted millions of lives. In particular, the history of the caste communities branded as criminals from birth—under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871—represents one of the most tragic chapters in the history of Indian democracy.
However, this book is not merely a tale of suffering.
It is a history of struggles.
It is a history of movements waged for self-respect.
It is a history of caste communities constantly fighting for recognition.
It is a history of the hopes held by millions of families awaiting justice.
To prepare this volume, I drew upon not only historical documents, commission reports, government orders, constitutional provisions, and research papers but also the lived experiences of the people. I made a particular effort to deeply study the pathways suggested by bodies such as the Balkrishna Renke Commission.
In my view, the recommendations of the Renke Commission are not merely words in a government report. They represent the dream of a child longing for education, the hope of a young person striving for employment, and the right of a family aspiring to a life of dignity.
It is my firm belief that—
“Recognizing the injustice of the past is merely the first step; fighting for a remedy to that injustice is the true social responsibility.”
That is why this book was not written simply to record history. It was written to awaken consciousness. It was written to encourage questioning. It was written to provoke thought. It was written to initiate a new dialogue in the pursuit of justice. “Writing the history of a caste community is not merely about recording the past; it is an effort to restore their dignity.”
To me, this work is not just a book.
It is a voice for a forgotten history.
It is a platform for unheard suffering.

It is a saga of dignity for marginalized caste communities.
It is a literary movement striving for historical justice.
Unearthing forgotten history, amplifying the voices of marginalized caste communities, immortalizing their dignity through the written word, and passing on the true history to future generations—this is my life’s mission.
T. Ramanjulu, M.Sc., M.A., B.P.Ed.
Author | Researcher | Social Activist