Context:

Rhythm of Dammam, a film that shines a light on the Siddi community, is being screened in the ongoing 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

More on the news:

• The film, screened under the “Cinema of The World” section, tells the story of 12-year-old Jayaram Siddi and his ancestors’ history of slavery.
• Movie’s writer and director, Jayan Cherian, has long been interested in the history of the trans-Indian Ocean slave trade and its impact on the African diaspora in India. 

About the ‘Siddi’ community:

An ethnic African group brought to India in the 7th century as slaves by the Arabs, followed by the Portuguese and the British later on. 

• Other Siddis who came to India were free people (merchants, sailors, and mercenaries).

They are believed to be descendants of the Bantu people from Southeast Africa.

Numbering about 50,000 the Siddis are spread along the coast of Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.

They are included in the list of the Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka and are also recognized as the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Gujrat in 1982.

The Siddis belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.

The dress of the Siddi is a combination of traditional Hindu and Muslim dress and they are non-vegetarian.

The Siddi women are treated lower in status than that of their men.

Traditional caste council called Jamat exists which settles disputes among the people.

Their mother tongue is called Siddi Basha and many are fluent in Kannada, Konkani, Urdu, and other regional languages.

Involvement and representation of Siddis:

• In the 1980s, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) launched a Special Area Games Programme where young Siddi boys and girls were picked from villages and trained by top athletics coaches at SAI centers.
• Shantharam Budna Siddi, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Karnataka, is the first from the community to be nominated for a legislative body in the country.
• The most famous Siddi ruler in India was Malik Ambar (1548-1626).