Dheevara (caste)
Dheevara is a grouping of fishing castes from the Kerala state of South India.
The word "Dheevara" is of Sanskrit origin, and has been used to describe fishermen in Gautama Dharmasutra and Mahabharata. The Dheevara community was formed by Arayan, Valan and other castes to lobby for the fishers' rights, and to seek caste-based reservations in government jobs. The members of the community formed the Dheevara Mahasabha, which is a politically powerful organization. Guru VedaVyasa was born into the Dheevara caste.
The following castes are categorized as "Dheevara" in the Government's list of Other Backward Classes:
