The Irula and Many more Native Tribes
Philipose
Vaidyar
https://sites.google.com/view/focusonpeople/new-release?authuser=0
I wrote first time about
the Irula (Irular) in 2003 in Malayalam as a feature story in India Focus, the
magazine I was editing. Later along with many other such stories I had
published it on my website www.FocusonPeople.org in 2006 and in A Peep into the Tribalscape
in 2008. Later I had an invitation to do a short film on the tribe living in
Chennai. (See the link to the videos in YouTube at the footer)
People named 'Irula' are
found in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Each of the groups seemed to be
different in its structure and appearance. More of them are in Tamil Nadu
(about 190,000) next, in Kerala (about 24,000) and the rest in Karnataka (about
11,000). I have personally visited several Iruala settlements in Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.
Irular in Kerala
Irulars are seen in
Attapady area of Mannarkadu Thaluk in Palakkad District and also seen in
Nelliyampathy, Pothuppara, Mayamudi, Palakkapandi, Koonapalam of Chittur Thaluk
and Valayar hills. They are engaged in agriculture and cultivate paddy, ragi,
dhal, plantains, turmeric, etc. Forest produce collection is also a source of
income. They are also seen in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states. The Irular
community in Kerala is different in features and occupation from the Irula
people seen near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
There is a genesis story
of the Irula spoken among the Irular in Attappady around a man named Pattan. I
had documented this story on my website in 2006 and in my first book, A Peep
into the Tribalscape in 2008. Based on this story Chitra Soundar had published
a children's picture book: Pattan’s Pumpkin in 2016 in the UK by Otter-Barry
Books. (Some in India including a writer in Kerala has copied verbatim of
my documentation of the story without any acknowledgment and it is published on a government website!)
Visit: Tribalscape.blogspot.com or
The legend continues
that God instructed Pattan to live thereby cultivating the land. The Irular
tribe believes that they descended from Pattan. If iniquity increases with the
rise in the population, a goat or hen has to be sacrificed. One sacrifice is
sufficient to ward off sin for a year. The Lord has kept heaven and hell for
people according to the “wrongdoings and the sacrifice” offered. The word
Irular comes from the word Irul which means darkness. Irular means those who
are in darkness.
I reached a village 10
km away from Gulikadavu, which is situated close to the Anakatty-Mannarkad
road. It was just a day after the village celebration and a sacrifice. The
youth were blaring on trumpets, celebrating the penultimate day of the festival…….
Read the full story on Irular’s occupation, Lifestyle, Child
Birth, Marriage, Death, and much more in Trekking the Tribal Trail.
https://sites.google.com/view/focusonpeople/new-release?authuser=0
Irula in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, Irula settlements
are found in Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvallur,
districts and a handful of them in Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts. Close to
Chennai, several settlements are seen in and around Padappai, and
Mamallapuram.
Watch my video on the Iruala in Padappai, in the suburb of Chennai (sponsored by Agape Lifeline) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83vWwqqV4FA&t=98s
No comments:
Post a Comment