Yenadis: The Ancient Tribe
The Yenadis are the largest Scheduled Tribe with deep knowledge of local flora and fauna. They thrive through traditional occupations and a gathering lifestyle based in Andhra Pradesh. Despite modern challenges, they sustain their unique culture through resilience and community bonds.
Historical Perspective of the Yenadis: A Narrative Journey Through Time
Ancient Origins and Early Settlements
The historical narrative of the Yenadis (also spelled as Yanadi and Yanadis, in plural) begins in the shadowy depths of pre-Dravidian antiquity, with their origins shrouded in etymological mystery and scholarly debate. Their very name reflects this uncertainty—derived from the Sanskrit word “anadi,” meaning “those whose origin is not traceable,” or the ancestor, or the one from the beginning. The term ANADI has become a distorted term in usage from time to time as YANADI. The people perhaps elongated the vowel-sound so that it became Yenadi. Some scholars mention that the word derived from “a” (privative) and “nathu” (lord or protector), suggesting the people who remained outside the established order of landed rulers. Some linguistic evidence points to “Andati” meaning “aborigines,” reinforcing their ancient status as original inhabitants.
Vennelganti Raghavaiah, the social reformer who dedicated his life to Yenadis’ development, mentioned that the Chenchues who migrated from forests and hills to plain areas might have become Yenadis. According to the book Castes and Tribes of Southern India written by Edgar Thurston (1909), a division initially existed among Yenadis according to dietary habits, occupation, residence, etc., as Reddy Yenadis, Challa Yenadis, Adavi and Kappla Yenadis, which has become irrelevant in present-day occupations mostly in agricultural and allied sectors except Challa Yenadis in urban municipalities.
Archaeological records trace their presence across the Eastern Ghats ecosystem, establishing themselves as indigenous custodians of forests and coastal environments from the Nallamala Forest complex in the north to the Seshachalam Hills in the south. Further, major concentrations of Yenadis were recorded between the river basins of Ponneru, Penna, and Krishna. This vast territorial expanse, encompassing transitional zones between forests and agricultural areas, water bodies and cultivated fields, positioned the Yenadis uniquely as “Indigenous tribes” who specialized in managing ecotones—the biodiverse boundary areas where different ecosystems converge.
Eastern Ghats region across Andhra Pradesh where Yenadis traditionally inhabited transitional zones between forests and plains.
The recorded history of their primary stronghold at Sriharikota dates back to Tamil Sangam literature from around 300 BCE, when the island was known as Palaverkada or Vadugarmunai, with tradition holding that the aboriginal Yanadi tribe had inherited and managed these forest territories for generations. Simultaneously, their settlements dotted the Seshachalam Hills, with communities strategically positioned at locations like Padma Sarassu (water tanks at the foothills), Karakambadi (at barren foothills), and Siddala Palle (near Seshachalam forests), demonstrating their sophisticated understanding of landscape management across diverse ecological zones.
Medieval Transitions: From Chola Sovereignty to Territorial Fragmentation
The Yenadis’ historical trajectory became increasingly complex during the medieval period as various South Indian dynasties contested control over their ancestral territories spanning from the coast to the interior hills. From the 11th century onwards, Sriharikota passed from Yenadi tribal control into the hands of the Chola kings, marking the beginning of their subjugation to external political authorities. Under Chola sovereignty until 1310 CE, the Yenadis experienced their first major encounter with organized state power, though they likely maintained considerable autonomy in their forest domains across the Eastern Ghats.
During this period, their territorial settlements were also recorded in the Nallamala Forest region, where they interacted with other tribal communities, particularly the Chenchus. Unlike the deep forest-dwelling Chenchus, the Yenadis occupied transitional zones and maintained flexible territorial boundaries, creating both cooperative and competitive relationships over access to tanks, water bodies, and seasonal resources throughout the Eastern Ghats ecosystem.
The subsequent transfer of power to Mohammedan emperors, followed by the Vijayanagar dynasty, and eventually to the Nawab of Carnatic who rented territories to early Zamindars, created a complex web of overlapping authorities that gradually eroded traditional Yenadi territorial control across their historic range. During this fragmentation, they adapted by developing relationships with various ruling powers while preserving their core identity as specialists in forest-plains interface management and transitional ecosystem stewardship.
Colonial Encounter and Administrative Compartmentalization
The arrival of British colonial administration marked a decisive turning point in Yenadi territorial integrity, with the 1801 cession of Sriharikota to the British East India Company symbolizing broader patterns of land alienation. The island’s integration into Chingleput District and later transfer to Nellore district brought the coastal Yenadis under direct colonial control, while forest areas of the Nallamala and Seshachalam were simultaneously being surveyed, mapped, and designated as Reserved Forests.
Colonial ethnographers like Edgar Thurston documented the Yenadis across their territorial range, often through evolutionary anthropology that characterized them as existing in a “primitive stage of culture.” British officials described them as “a rude class of people” living in a “state of barbarism,” failing to recognize the sophistication of their ecological knowledge and sustainable resource management practices across diverse ecosystems from coastal areas to hill forests. In 1835, the British employed them for casuarina and cashew plantation work and as labourers for firewood collection and also as camp attendants. The colonial administration’s compartmentalization of landscapes into discrete administrative units—coastal districts, forest reserves, agricultural settlements—fundamentally disrupted traditional Yenadi territorial mobility and free resource access patterns that had evolved over centuries.
However, colonial records also documented their continuing presence across the Eastern Ghats, with the administration attempting various intervention schemes including educational initiatives (the first school opened for Yenadis in 1858), industrial training, and agricultural programs, while simultaneously restricting their traditional forest access through new Reserved Forest laws. The British also employed them for the collection of forest produce and paid them wages.
The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871
The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 was a draconian British colonial law in India that declared entire nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes as “hereditary criminals,” based on their birth, not on individual actions, falsely assuming inherent criminal tendencies. This law was extended to Madras Presidency in 1916 and to the entire country in 1924.
Registration and Surveillance
Under this Act, tribal members had to register with police and report at fixed intervals—at 11 pm at night and 3 am in the early morning—every day. If they did not report, they would be imprisoned for violation. They had to notify any change of residence and could not leave their village or settlement without a permission letter. Police would arbitrarily arrest them for any crimes and thefts without proof or evidence and regularly harassed and exploited family members. This Act devastated their lives and livelihood with lasting social stigma and caused immense suffering, constant fear and terror, sleepless nights, continuous anxiety, destroying traditional ways of peaceful life.
Abolishment Through Raghavaiah’s Efforts
Due to the dedicated and tireless efforts of Vennelganti Raghavaiah from 1936, the Act was eventually repealed. On 18 October 1936, during the visit of Jawaharlal Nehru to Nellore, V. Raghavaiah explained the inhuman C.T. Act and requested its abolishment. In the public meeting at Nellore on the same day, Nehru promised to work for its abolishment.
At the 1937 Faizpur Congress Mahasabha, V. Raghavaiah explained the C.T. Act provisions and atrocities committed by police and demanded its abolishment, which was unanimously approved. Based on the initiative of Shri Raghavaiah, the United Madras Government abolished the C.T. Act in 1949, and it was finally repealed throughout the country in 1952. Thus, the Yenadis tribe along with 210 other Scheduled Tribes and communities were liberated from decades of slavery and exploitation. Vennelganti Raghavaiah brought light from darkness and peacefulness to their lives.
Post-Independence Development and Territorial Displacement
The post-independence period intensified territorial fragmentation through development policies that increasingly marginalized traditional Yenadi territories across the Eastern Ghats. The establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) facility at Sriharikota in 1970 resulted in the complete displacement of the island’s Yenadi population by 1980, even though the then Chairman of ISRO, Professor Satish Dhawan, made an earnest humanitarian effort with the “Action Research Project” and rehabilitation measures for the Yenadis.
Professor Dhawan dreamed that one day a Yenadi, after completion of the Yenadi Action Research Project, would be in the team of scientists to launch a satellite from Sriharikota island, a place where his/her ancestors had lived earlier.
Ethnography of a Nomadic Tribe – N. Sudhakara Rao
“The Yenadis were given land for cultivation but they did not know cultivation. The compensation of Rs. 500 given at the time of evacuation was exhausted within a week in the new place, mostly because they were cheated by traders. Several Yenadis suffered from diseases and died. Many starved for several days. The net result was that many Yenadis tried to return to the island and a few people among them were engaged by ISRO for work.”
Yenadi Response to Change – Binod C. Agrawal, N. Sudhakara Rao, P.C. Gurivi Reddy (p. 20)
Simultaneous conservation initiatives in other forest areas created new restrictions on their settlements and livelihood across their historic range. The creation of the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve within the Nallamala Forest and the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve effectively converted traditional resource areas into restricted zones, transforming Yenadis from indigenous stewards into “aliens and poachers” in their own ancestral territories.
This traumatic territorial compression forced thousands of Yenadis from dispersed forest settlements into concentrated mainland colonies where they struggled to maintain cultural continuity while adapting to new economic realities. Government land colonization programs, beginning during British rule and continuing after independence, attempted to provide alternative territories but often failed to account for the Yenadis’ specialized knowledge of ecotone management and their need for access to diverse ecosystem resources for livelihood.
Contemporary Territorial Struggles and Ecological Knowledge
Various research documents indicate Yenadi colonies around the Seshachalam Hills, where communities maintain traditional ecological practices despite conservation restrictions. Forest officials now limit access through licensing systems for non-timber forest product collection, requiring permits for legal forest entry while penalizing traditional resource use. The Yenadis’ sophisticated ecological knowledge—including descriptive naming systems for forest locations, fire management techniques, and the ability to navigate rocky terrains during emergencies—continues to prove invaluable despite official marginalization.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Forest Use for Medicines
The Penchalakona and other forest areas serve as critical repositories for Yenadi traditional ecological knowledge, with the community maintaining intimate familiarity with local plant and animal species for medicinal, nutritional, and cultural purposes. They continue to rely on medicinal plants, particularly for primary healthcare needs. Research documents indicate that the Yenadi tribe utilizes around 70 plant species to address a wide range of ailments, including worm infestations, scorpion stings, headaches, body pains, fevers, swelling of feet, skin diseases, heart diseases, stomach ulcers, diuretic needs, dysentery, snake bites, nerve disorders, rheumatic pains, antiseptic treatments, diabetes, colds, and even dental problems. This specialized knowledge represents generations of accumulated understanding of forest ecosystems and resource-use practices.
Beyond medicinal plant use, the Yenadis’ traditional practices extend to gathering honey, harvesting wild tubers and fruits, and collecting materials for constructing traditional implements and dwellings. Their knowledge of seasonal resource availability, wildlife behavior, and forest navigation makes them invaluable partners for sustainable forest management initiatives. However, contemporary conservation policies often restrict their traditional access patterns, creating challenges for the continuation of these age-old practices.
The Yenadis tribe’s extensive traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is documented in many ethnobotanical studies and journal articles. Sri Venkateswara University Botany Department conducted a survey and workshop on the medicinal plants knowledge of Yenadis. The Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology, published in January 2016, documented medicinal plants knowledge of Yenadis which is available in the archives of National Library of Medicine (NLM). Ms. Manasvi C.M. submitted a PhD thesis about medicinal plants knowledge of Yenadis for an American University, and Padmasri Vennelganti Raghavaiah gave a detailed exposition of medicinal knowledge of Yenadis about various diseases in his book Yanadi. They not only used this knowledge for themselves but served the communities around them. They also spread the knowledge during their cultural festivals to younger generations as recorded in the book, Castes and Tribes of Southern India.
They used to enact dances and skits about scorpion stings and snake bites (Telu and pamu katu). The enactment unfolds as follows (page 12, Castes and Tribes of Southern India / Yanadi):
“Suddenly one actor fell on the ground and one of them cries out and the chorus sings:
‘Alas! The scorpion stings
O! O! The scorpion stings
Which finger? Ah! The middle one
As soon as I was stung,
The poison into my head ascends.
Ayo! Ayo! What shall I do?
Bring down the poison with Yilledu.’ (Gilledu in Telugu)
The chant is kept for a long time, when suddenly another actor falls on the ground and curls like a snake.”
They have their own remedies for scorpion and snake bites.
Food Habits
Originally, Yenadis enjoyed eating a variety of forest produce which included 17 kinds of wild fruits, 10 kinds of wild tubers, 4 types of seeds, and 8 varieties of leaves. They also ate fish in plenty from lakes and rivers, meat from hunting such as rabbit, porcupine, wild pig, tortoise, birds, rodents, etc., and honey collected from hills and forests. They especially gave honey to children for growth. When their resources were restricted, they started struggling for food and medicines.
Thus, the historical narrative reveals a people whose territorial identity was fundamentally shaped by their unique position as managers of ecosystem transitions across the Eastern Ghats. From ancient settlements spanning coastal areas to interior forests, through medieval political transitions, colonial compartmentalization, and contemporary conservation restrictions, the Yenadis have demonstrated remarkable adaptability while maintaining core ecological relationships that define their cultural identity. Their struggle represents not merely resistance to territorial loss, but the preservation of specialized knowledge systems developed through millennia of sustainable interaction with one of India’s most biodiverse and ecologically complex landscapes. Thus, they were forced to leave a self-sufficient resource environment for a poverty and disease-driven environment by the forces of history.
ITDA for Yenadis
For the upliftment of poverty-stricken Yenadis, the Government has taken many initiatives. Land colonization schemes were started during the British period and continued after independence for rehabilitation of Yenadis. The state government also introduced land assignment schemes to provide land for cultivation for landless Yenadis, besides development schemes under sectors like education, housing, women and child development, medical care, health and nutrition, roads, etc. But after the implementation of welfare and development schemes for more than four decades, the expected results could not be achieved in ameliorating the poor conditions of Yenadis.
Therefore, a decision was taken by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on 09-09-1997 to establish a separate ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) for Yenadis, inhabiting Nellore, Chittoor, Prakasam districts and 5 mandals of Cuddapah district. A Yenadi development plan has been prepared for the development of Yenadis residing in 3,722 villages in 166 mandals of these districts.
The government vide G.O.Ms.No.136, Social Welfare (TW.BUD.2) Department dated 19-12-2001 issued orders for establishing ITDA for Yenadis. The headquarters of ITDA is located at Nellore. The project is headed by a Project Officer assisted by a Development Officer and other supporting staff to implement various developmental programmes. However, this ITDA for Yenadis is different from other ITDAs in Agency areas. The ITDAs in Agency areas are funded by the Central Government and headed by young IAS officers who are active in the field, committed to development, and empowered to plan and implement comprehensive development programmes. But this ITDA for Yenadis lacks sufficient funds to plan and implement any development programmes right from inception, except managing some schools in the area.
Present Status of Yenadis
At present, the majority of them have settled as farm labourers, few of them as scavengers in urban areas (Challa Yenadis), some are kavalgarus (watchmen) in fields and gardens, some are construction labourers, and some work as domestic servants, known for their honesty, faithfulness, and obedience. About 10% of them are in government services, thanks to the benefits of modern education. But still, 90% of the population live in utter poverty, depending on daily wages as agricultural coolies, and 25% of them have no houses, still living in huts on canal bunds and wastelands outside the villages. Very few of them are engaged in self-employment programmes like fishing, collection of forest produce, rearing cattle, native poultry, and pigs, etc.
For better understanding of the contemporary Yenadis and their needs, problems, and challenges, it is inevitable to quote the study of Yenadis in 1975 by ISRO anthropologists which is as follows:
A. Psychological Needs and Problems
- Sense of insecurity
- Sense of inferiority
- Sense of powerlessness
Due to these reasons, they have become the most submissive and timid and non-competitive tribe, similar to other primitive tribes. But Yenadis had been deprived of all the benefits of primitive tribes by virtue of forced migration from forests and hill areas and restriction on access to natural resources.
B. Socio-Economic Problems
- Exploitation
- Lack of education
- Low earnings
- Lack of leadership
- Liquor addiction
There is a need for providing house sites and permanent houses for the Yenadis, skill development programs for unemployed youth and women, restoration of the alienated lands allotted to the Yenadis, and providing free and compulsory primary education for all children in their colonies. Supplementary income and earning schemes need to be provided to the women in the community for removal of poverty.
Enduring Cultural, Religious, and Social Traditions
Building on their millennia-old stewardship of the Eastern Ghats, the Yenadis sustain a vibrant fabric of beliefs, rituals, and communal practices that bind their identity to forests and shrines alike.
The Yenadis’ Sacred Bonds with Penchalakona
The Yenadis maintain profound spiritual, cultural, and historical connections to Penchalakona. For the Yenadis, Penchalakona represents not only a place of worship but also a cornerstone of indigenous ecological knowledge and cultural continuity, extending far beyond geographical proximity. In fact, history reveals that Yenadis were the original pujaris at Penchalakona and guided the pilgrims through the forest to reach the temple and conducted Brahmotsavams at Penchalakona.
Spiritually, Penchalakona holds deep significance for Yenadi worship practices dedicated to Lord Narasimha and Chenchu Lakshmi. Research on religious traditions in Nellore district shows that both settled Manchi Yenadis and semi-nomadic Challa Yenadis worship at Penchalakona’s Narasimha Swamy temple, believing it brings prosperity, happiness, and relief from suffering.
The Yenadis’ household deity, Chenchu Devatha (Chenchu Lakshmi), is revered through rituals like “sodihi,” performed for protection and welfare. The cultural link is further reinforced by sacred legends: it is believed that Chenchu Lakshmi appeared as a tribal woman to pacify Lord Narasimha after slaying Hiranyakashipu. This narrative legitimizes tribal traditions within wider Hindu frameworks and strengthens the Yenadis’ spiritual authority in forest-based worship.
Yenadis and the Sacred Landscape of Singarayakonda
The Yenadis’ relationship with the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Singarayakonda mirrors their connections to other hill-top Narasimha shrines in the Eastern Ghats, blending settlement, resource use, and ritual service into a cohesive cultural landscape.
The Yenadis’ Enduring Ritual Role at Tirumala
The Yenadi community maintains a longstanding spiritual and cultural link with the Tirumala Venkateswara temple, centered on two key practices: the ritual of tonsure (head-shaving) and the performance of their traditional seva ceremony.
Tonsure Ritual
From early childhood, Yenadi families bring their children to Tirumala for the mundan (first tonsure). They believe that offering their hair to Lord Venkateswara secures divine protection and lifelong blessings. This pilgrimage rite not only reinforces individual and collective identity but also reaffirms the community’s ancestral bond with the sacred Seshachalam Hills.
Seva Ceremony
In addition to the tonsure ritual, designated Yenadi men perform a distinctive seva ceremony, a trance-inducing rite invoking their household deity, Sri Venkateswaraswami and Chenchu Devatha. During the seva, participants enter a rhythmic trance state, symbolically striking their backs with oil-soaked cloth wicks as an offering to Venkateswara Swami and Chenchu Lakshmi. This act invokes healing and prosperity and is conducted under the auspices of the Tirumala temple, situating Yenadi rituals within the broader Vaishnava devotional framework.
In fact, Yenadis used to perform seva rituals during epidemics in villages and also perform seva and animal sacrifices for Poleramma, Ganganamma, Jalamma, and Pothraju, all village gods. As part of their devotion, Yenadis themselves constructed several temples in villages for Sri Venkateswara Swami and Chenchu Lakshmi and maintain annual Kalyanotsavams and maladharna deekshas. Among them, Golagamudi temple is very famous for the largest gatherings of the community after Penchalakona and Tirupati. Yenadis also worship Kotappakonda Koteswara Swami during Sivarathri festival.
Notable Social Workers and Organizations Supporting the Yenadi Community
Several dedicated social workers and organizations have played significant roles in supporting and uplifting the community. Vennelganti Raghavaiah, affectionately known as “Girijan Gandhi,” was a prominent social worker renowned for his dedicated service to indigenous tribal communities, especially for the Yenadis in Andhra Pradesh. His impactful work focused particularly in the Nellore, Prakasam, and Guntur districts, where he established housing colonies and land distribution schemes aimed at supporting the rehabilitation and welfare of the Yenadi tribe.
Raghavaiah’s efforts played a crucial role in facilitating improved living conditions, enhanced access to education, and economic development for the Yenadis. In addition to his contributions, organizations such as the Andhra Rashtra Adimajati Seva Sangh have made concerted efforts to uplift the Yenadi community in educational and socio-economic spheres, further advancing the community’s progress.
With the dedicated effort of Shri Raghavaiah, more than 400 colonies were established for Yenadis and permanent houses were built in 50 colonies. In coordination with the government and the local landlords, he collected and distributed 10,000 acres of cultivable land to Yenadis. Under the leadership of Shri Raghavaiah, 70 adivasi boarding homes were started. Under the supervision of Shri Raghavaiah, the Yenadi Welfare Society, in coordination with Thakkar Baba, established a Yenadis boys’ hostel in 1940. In other places in Nellore district—Alluru, Kavali, Kandukuru, Venkatagiri—the Yenadis boys’ hostels were extended.
By the dedicated efforts of Shri Raghavaiah, the Yenadis have been included in the Scheduled Tribes list by the Government of India in 1956, and recognition was extended to Telangana by 1976.
Thakkar Baba (Amritlal Vihaldas Thakkar) was a renowned Indian social worker committed to the upliftment of tribal populations and marginalized communities. He founded the Bharatiya Adimajati Sevak Sangh and worked extensively to empower various tribal groups in India, advocating for their social and developmental needs. Thakkar Baba’s mission included outreach to remote tribal regions, a commitment that naturally encompassed communities like the Yenadis. The organization worked on various issues such as poverty, illiteracy, and health issues prevalent among tribal societies and has played a significant role in tribal welfare and development over many decades, often running schools and hostels for tribal students in conjunction with government-funded schemes. Andhra Rashtra Adimajati Sevak Sangh established schools at Nellore, Kovur, Gandhi Nagaram, etc., for boys and girls.
Shri Tiruveedula Sambaiah, with the inspiration of Shri Raghavaiah, established primary schools and hostels for boys and girls at Guntur. Under the leadership of Shri Raghavaiah, hostels were started at Ongole by Kottapalli Ramakrishnaiah, at Sattenapalli by Potluri Chenchaiah, at Ponnur by Pulugu Jalaiah, at Kadavakuduru by Tiruveedula Dasaradha Ramaiah, and at Gandhi Janasangam by Potluri Lakshminarayana. Many of these hostels which provided good education to the Yenadi community were closed by 1975 and replaced with Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare hostels and residential schools by the Government.
Political Participation and Empowerment
For the success of democracy, political participation is most essential for the Yenadis community’s development and welfare. There are very few people who actively participate at the Panchayat, mandal, and municipality levels, such as Thiruveedula Dasaradha Ramaiah, Potluri Shrihari, Yetukuri Varaprasad, Ponnluri Lakshamaiah, and Potluri Sravanthi, etc. In the 77 years of Indian Independence, Shri Yellampalli Penchalaiah was the only MLA elected from Kavali constituency from Nellore district. There is a need for more political representation in various democratic institutions from the Yenadis community for further progress and empowerment.
Notable Social Workers and Organizations Supporting the Yenadi Community
Several dedicated social workers and organizations have played significant roles in supporting and uplifting the community. Vennelganti Raghavaiah, affectionately known as “Girijan Gandhi,” was a prominent social worker renowned for his dedicated service to indigenous tribal communities, especially for the Yenadis in Andhra Pradesh. His impactful work focused particularly in the Nellore, Prakasam, and Guntur districts, where he established housing colonies and land distribution schemes aimed at supporting the rehabilitation and welfare of the Yenadi tribe.
Raghavaiah’s efforts played a crucial role in facilitating improved living conditions, enhanced access to education, and economic development for the Yenadis. In addition to his contributions, organizations such as the Andhra Rashtra Adimajati Seva Sangh have made concerted efforts to uplift the Yenadi community in educational and socio-economic spheres, further advancing the community’s progress.
With the dedicated effort of Shri Raghavaiah, more than 400 colonies were established for Yenadis and permanent houses were built in 50 colonies. In coordination with the government and the local landlords, he collected and distributed 10,000 acres of cultivable land to Yenadis. Under the leadership of Shri Raghavaiah, 70 adivasi boarding homes were started. Under the supervision of Shri Raghavaiah, the Yenadi Welfare Society, in coordination with Thakkar Baba, established a Yenadis boys’ hostel in 1940. In other places in Nellore district—Alluru, Kavali, Kandukuru, Venkatagiri—the Yenadis boys’ hostels were extended.
By the dedicated efforts of Shri Raghavaiah, the Yenadis have been included in the Scheduled Tribes list by the Government of India in 1956, and recognition was extended to Telangana by 1976.
Thakkar Baba (Amritlal Vihaldas Thakkar) was a renowned Indian social worker committed to the upliftment of tribal populations and marginalized communities. He founded the Bharatiya Adimajati Sevak Sangh and worked extensively to empower various tribal groups in India, advocating for their social and developmental needs. Thakkar Baba’s mission included outreach to remote tribal regions, a commitment that naturally encompassed communities like the Yenadis. The organization worked on various issues such as poverty, illiteracy, and health issues prevalent among tribal societies and has played a significant role in tribal welfare and development over many decades, often running schools and hostels for tribal students in conjunction with government-funded schemes. Andhra Rashtra Adimajati Sevak Sangh established schools at Nellore, Kovur, Gandhi Nagaram, etc., for boys and girls.
Shri Tiruveedula Sambaiah, with the inspiration of Shri Raghavaiah, established primary schools and hostels for boys and girls at Guntur. Under the leadership of Shri Raghavaiah, hostels were started at Ongole by Kottapalli Ramakrishnaiah, at Sattenapalli by Potluri Chenchaiah, at Ponnur by Pulugu Jalaiah, at Kadavakuduru by Tiruveedula Dasaradha Ramaiah, and at Gandhi Janasangam by Potluri Lakshminarayana. Many of these hostels which provided good education to the Yenadi community were closed by 1975 and replaced with Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare hostels and residential schools by the Government.