Namadhari Naik

According to the People of India series by the Anthropological Survey of India it, the Halepaiks/Komarpaiks are migrants from Andhra Pradesh. It refers to the legend of king Gopala Krishnaraya who was ruling Vijayanagar, when the Halepaiks were living in Kumarakshetra near the capital (read: Hampi). It says that one of the Halepaiks, Narayana, son of Ranga Naik and Laxmi Devi, impressed the king by faithfully serving him, pleased with which the King granted him the village of 'Halepaik' as inam.

Halepaiks find continuous reference in Kuvempu's Malegalalli madumagalu and Kanuru Heggaditi which deal with life in the Western Ghats in the 19th century. The then contemporary condition of Halepaiks, vague reference to their origins, social standings, inter relation with other communities, ongoing class struggle can be summed up from this work.[1] Kuvempu indicates that there was a decision taken among the landlords that Halepaiks were to be not allowed to hold their own lands and were to be confined to tilling others' lands. The discrimination extended to ceremonies and rituals as well with the Halepaik groom not allowed to ride a horse to his marriage as was the practice for ages.[2] The landlords seem to have guarded this privilege of theirs very closely. This also indicates the social downfall Halepaiks had attained by then.

The martial Halepaiks took to agriculture in peacetime and down the centuries were left with small landholdings, a condition which led to them being downtrodden and marginalized. Until recently Halepaiks were known for their status as resident cultivators (Gross-crop sharing), that is working on lands passed on by heredity on the condition of parting with a portion of produce. This system is known as Geni paddati (tenure system) in Kannada. There are two versions, Moola geni (protected tenant with certain rights; similar to Bhoomidar of Uttar Pradesh) being the hereditary one and Chala geni (tenant at will; ex Sirdars and Asamis of U.P)[3] given on a contract lasting 4–5 years. Halepaiks became almost synonymous with the Moolageni system. With the undergoing changes at the socio-political level and the onset of lenders the condition became such that over the last century every family which was poor to own land by themselves took to the above said system irrespective of caste, creed and community. From Brahmins to Muslims they were at it for livelihood.[4] Most became resident cultivators in their own land due to debt trap. Even so, there was oppression in the Geni system with the landlords resorting to arm twisting and violence to extract greater share. This led to one of the most important agrarian movements in post independent India, the Kagodu satyagraha. The Kagodu Satyagraha of 1951 turned out to be a memorable period for the community, with many from community assuming leadership in the movement. The doyen of community like H.Ganpatiyappa, Savaji Beera Naik, Mandagadale Ram Naik worked closely with leaders like Shantaveri Gopalagowda, Yusuf Meherally to make it a success.[5] This movement was very much responsible for the future land reforms that took place giving the land to the tiller.

Today the community has taken to modern education and is upwardly mobile

• Shivanand Naik,[6] former minister, Government of Karnataka
• J D Naik, former M L A, Bhatkal
• K G Naik, Hanajibail, former BJP District President, former Siddapura Town Panchayat president.
• Bhimanna Naik, D C C President
• Devaray Naik, former Lok Sabha member
• Sunil Naik, M L A, Bhatkal
• R S Naik, former Rajya Sabha member
• Ravi Nayak, actor
• Krishna Naik, artist
• Lokesh naik gunavanthe, Yakshagana artist