Protecting the lives and rights of the ancient Tamil tribes
Fr. J. Arokia Dass, S. J.
One of the most neglected and exploited sections of people is the tribal community in India in general and Tamilnadu in particular. There is a movement now here to trace the history of this community to restore their dignity and rights of these people. Mr. Seeman, the coordinator of Nam Tamil Party and other Tamil Nationalists try to re-invent the origin of the tribal community and its history. We shall devote a few moments to reflect over their situation.
In the forest land (marutam) the ancient tribes of Tamil farmers lived and their motto was: “Plowing and waging war is our occupation.” That means, once upon a time they cultivated the land and they waged war for their survival. Centuries older than these forest dwellers (marutam land) were the inhabitants of the mountain tracts (kurinci land). These people did not plow the land nor did they sow, but they harvested. But how? The animals dug the ground in order to eat the roots. The people there traced these holes and planted the seeds in them and reaped the fruits.
In dealing with people in India, the role of their deity plays an important role. God Murugan is said to be the God of hill tribes and people celebrate him with dances with spears in hand. The belief of the people is that God created us, but the gods are real commentaries on us human beings, as we create gods according to our imagination and invent forms and rituals.
The lord of this land Murugan gradually assumed different names like Kantan and Kumaran. The later Vedic tradition amalgamated all three into one figure and attributed two wives to him. That was an attempt to marry the Northern and Southern traditions — the white or golden Devasena and dark coloured Valli are said to be the wives of Murugan. Obviously, this was one way of conquering or subordinating the southern identity, though giving some legitimacy.
According to Asko Parpola, an Indus civilization researcher, the excavations of Indus valley reveal that Murugan worship is prevalent in this culture. That means Murugan was prior to Vinayaka. How could then Murugan become the younger brother of Vinayaka?
There is a poem in Tamil by Auvaiyar — Vināyagar Akaval — (in 72 akavarpā lines), of popular Saiva tradition. There are several Auvaiyars in Tamil literary tradition. This poem belongs to a later period. Perhaps Vinayakar is introduced in the 10th century to the Tamil readers. Later on, the concept of the family of Gods emerges — Siva-Parvati-Ganapati-Muruga/Subramanya etc. At the end the forerunner of Tamil tradition is subordinated to the position of Vinayakar’s younger brother.
The Sangam literature has sung the richness of kurinci landscape. But what is significant for our purpose here is the ballad Kuṛṛāla kuravanci. Kuṟavañci (alias kuṟattippāṭṭu) form of poetic composition was very productive between about 1650/60- 1830, developed from the erotic “ballads” that sprang up in Tamilnadu in the late middle ages. That was the period when local feudal lords, landholders, and temple mangers began to utilize courtesan-dancers of temples and towns as instruments of entertainment.
Tirukkuṟṟāla-k-kuṟavañci (about 1718) is a dance-drama by Irācappa-k Kavirāyar, Mēlakaram Sri Tirukūta. Kattiyakkāran (buffoon, panegyrist and herald) describes in song, procession of Shiva, the presiding deity of Kurrālam. The premiere took place at Kurrālam before the ruler of Maturai, Muttuvijayarank Cokkanata Nayaka (1706–1732), who gave the author grant of land, commemorating the event in copper plate dates 1718 AD. (Kamil V. Zvelebil)
These dramas are not to be seen as mere means of entertainment. They contain also valuable information on the then prevailing political and social situations. They also impart values that people believed to be of greater significance for a society. For example, the following verse gives us a hint of the prevalent cultural practice of the society. The kuravas are proud of their tribe and their cultural practice.
“We Kurava clan don’t support endogamy,
That is the best for our progeny.”
“Oru kulattil peṇkal koṭōm oru kulattir koḷḷōm
Uṛavu piṭittālum viṭōm kuravar kulam nānkal…”
The following verse is a historical event — also recorded in earlier works — highlighting the relation between the Saivites and the Ācīvikas and Jainas.
“Like the great Saivite Sambanthar
Came in the palanquin of pearls
Where the palm scripts floated to Vaigai banks
So Saivism won and killed the Jains
By pulling them across a pointed rod
And drove them out of Madurai town
Who had captured before and dominated it.”
There is another historical note, which is of great relevance for our consideration.
Kollimalai enakk-iḷaiya Cellimalai amme!
Koluntanukkuk kānimalai palanimalai amme!
Ellulavum vintaimalai entai-malai amme!
Imayamalai ennuṭaiya tamaiyan-malai amme!
Collariya sāmimalai māmimalai amme!
Tōḻimalai nāñcināttu vēḷvimalai amme!
Cellinankal mulavu koṭṭa mayilinankal āṭum
Tirikūṭa malaiyenkal celvamalai amme!
“Kolli hills, the hills of my younger sister Selli,
And Palani Hills, the hills of my husband.
Vindiya ranges where sun moves on its top
Is my dad’s and Himalayas my elder brother’s;
In praise worthy Sāmi Hills lives my mother-in-law,
My friends live in Velvi hills of Nāñcil Nāṭu.
Clouds play drums and peacocks dance
In our Thirikūṭa Hill, the richest place.”
The Tamil people seem to have lived all over the subcontinent India. Dr. Ambedkar says that Tamil was once spoken from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Dr. R. Balakrishnan claims that the Sangam Literature provides the proof for the Indus valley Tamil civilization. (The Journey of a Civilization, 2019)
But the kuravars are termed as criminals from the time of Warren Hastings (1971 Criminal tribes act). There are several sub-groups among them. One group was selling salt. But the British enacted laws forbidding Indians to make salt. These people knew no other job. So for their livelihood they were forced to do their salt trade stealthily. After independence this law elapsed. But the mindset of people about these people did not change. They are still considered as criminals. Their women are molested by the police force from Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), as it happened recently in Krishnagiri district. This is an aberration. Such abuse has to be eradicated.
There is another threat to the livelihood of these people — namely, forced displacement. In North India the tribal people were driven out of their habitats after the arrival of the Aryans. At the time of the Vijayanagar empire the Devendrakula Velalars in the South were chased out of their lands overnight.
Today under the present rulers, the people who depend on the land, on the seas for fishing, on the forests, etc. are pushed out and the Non-Tamils are occupying these lands, who look to their own benefits and do not care about these people. If this rule continues, the Tamils will be refugees in their own land.
According to Mr. Seeman, (NTK) the Kuravars are the original inhabitants of this land and forefathers of the Tamil race. He is not considering Murugan as God, but as the warrior hero and leader of the Tamil race. A painting of Murugan portrays this idea. This is to boost the morale of this community and make them feel self-confident to face the prevalent ordeals of political and social threat.
(Fr. Arokia Dass, SJ, is a Jesuit priest and Research scholar in the Department of Christian Studies, University of Madras.)
