We all know that Sankranthi is a festival celebrated by all Telugu people in January. It has astrological significance as well, marking the Sun’s transition into Capricorn and the beginning of a new cycle.
On the ground, it has been a festival ever since agrarian society came into existence, where people celebrate the reaping and harvesting of crops. It is a way of thanking nature and celebrating prosperity.
However, a Telugu news channel recently released a video claiming that this festival belongs only to the Kamma community, and that Kammas are the sole contributors to agriculture in the Telugu region.
Without naming any other community, or even acknowledging the Telugu community as a whole, the channel stated that Sankranthi is purely a Kamma festival.
It even mentioned that people wait eagerly to taste “Kamma special” dishes prepared in Kamma households. The anchor emotionally read out the script, repeatedly saying that Sankranthi is the pride of Kammas.
The ignorance reflected in this narrative is alarming. The channel seems unaware that all communities historically depended on agriculture, without discrimination.
Those who owned larger landholdings worked as landowners, while poorer sections worked as agricultural laborers.
It was never caste that defined one’s relationship with agriculture. People from all communities lived off agriculture, either as owners or as workers, directly or indirectly.
Therefore, Sankranthi is a festival that belongs to everyone, not to any single caste.
Unsurprisingly, this video has now gone viral and is being heavily trolled.