Holiya

The Holiya community speaks the Holiya (Golari) language as their mother tongue in the Balaghat and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh and in Gondia, Bhandra of Maharashtra. According to the 2011 census, the Holiya Scheduled Caste population in Madhya Pradesh is 16,192, and in Maharashtra is 1,08,908 (Holar, Valhar) and 18,263 (Holaya, Holer, Holeya, Holiya), respectively.

The people of the Holiya community are spread all over Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Holiya (Kannada) speakers are found in some of the villages in Ahmednagar, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gondia, Jalgaon, Kalyan, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune, Solapur, Yavatmal, Wardha districts of Maharashtra and in Balaghat & Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Holiya language resembles in all respects a variety of Kannada language spoken in north Karnataka. So that it may be re-designated as Holiya Kannada, which is spoken by the Holiya community of Balaghat, Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh. The term Hulia (Holia) is derived from Pulia or Polia (here, the ‘p’ has changed into ‘h’ is found) (p>h) (Etymological dictionary of Dravidian languages, 1961). The term Pulia, Polia has changed into Hulia, Holia. The community people of Hulia are called as Huler, Holer, Hular, Holar, Hulia, Holia, and Holiya in, the different names in different localities for the Holiya community in Madhya Pradesh.

Most of the people in the Holiya community are bilingual. They speak the Holiya language in their houses as their mother tongue; on the other hand, they speak Hindi to do other activities outside the house. Holiya people speak various Kannada and Hindi languages in their daily activities. In the schools and colleges, they speak and study only Hindi. Hindi is the state language of Madhya Pradesh.

The speakers of the Holiya language are Kannadigas. We are still determining when they migrated from Karnataka towards Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. However, ‘p’ changed into ‘h’ in the Kannada language only after the 15th century. Based on this evidence we can say that Holiya people might have migrated before or after the 16th century onwards from north Karnataka towards Madhya Pradesh for their food and shelter (The history of Kannada language by R Narashimachar, 1934) ‘u’ changed into ‘o’ is quite common (ta Puttai, potte Ka, Potte>hotte) in south Dravidian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. In the Balaghat and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh, two main social groups speak a variety of Kannada languages as their mother tongue. Among them, Hulia (Holia) is one group, and the other group is Gulia (Golia) Golar, so they speak the same language as a coin of two faces in that locality even though they have no matrimonial relationship among them. Based on their language, it can be traced that they may have a brotherhood relationship among them. Gulia>Golia>Golar people themselves say they are superior to Hulia>Holia>Holiya people. The Holiya group may be distinguished as drum beaters, and the Golar group may be trumpets. The question arises: Who was Golia? Even today, that question has not been resolved.

In both (Hulia and Gulia) the groups of people that are educated are average in number. Some are employed in public works and forest departments in the Balaghat and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh. Holiya community is listed in the scheduled caste and is getting reservations in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, the Golar community is listed on the list of nomadic tribes in Madhya Pradesh.

The main occupation of the Holiya community is agriculture labor and Tapdi beating in rituals. Golar people are engaged in agriculture and cattle rearing. Some of them have their own land for agriculture. Some of these people are working as coolies for their livelihood.

The people of Holiya and Golar speak the Kannada language but cannot read and write the Kannada script. They can write and read Hindi in those localities. The next generation probably may forget their mother tongue due to the influence of Hindi. So, we must take steps to protect and preserve this endangered language as immediately as possible. Most of the Kannada words have already disappeared and have been replaced by Hindi and Marathi words in their language since Hindi and Marathi are the major spoken languages in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

This language of Holiya is quite interesting to study as scientifically as possible to know a language's phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures. The Investigator has collected ample words and sentences from the native speakers of the language visited in some villages (Tirodi, Satitola, Amgaon, Chakayeti) of Seoni, Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh.