Orgin of Kaarala Gounder or Malayala Gounder (Hindu Malayali)

TRIBES  – KAARALA GOUNDER (HINDU MALAYALI)

·         From ancient times when the stones had formed and the sands had not yet formed, the tribals were living in the forests and hills. They were called aathivasies, people of the hills, and ancient people of the hills, forest dwellers and tribals.

·         According to the 2001 census data available, there are 8.08 crore tribals in india. As per the indian constitution 698 clans of tribals have been recognised as per the 342nd clause. Of these 278 big groups have been stated as important and malayali identified as first primitive tribals.

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·                     One third of the tribal population of the world live in India. Section 366 (25) chapter 342 of The Indian Constitution clearly speaks on the livelihood of the tribals.

·                     The 2001 census states that there are 8,43,26,240 tribal people in India and that they are found together in 427 groups and spread across 26 states. Statistics state that this is 8.2 % of the total population of India.

In the early days many like Hector Thurston, L. D. Ananda Krishnan Ayer and in the later days people like Dr. Ayapan and others did research work on the primitive natives of Tamilnadu. Some belonging to the language department of the Anamalai University have done research on the languages of the primitive people belonging to the  Hills.

Who Are The Primitive Natives?

To know this there are certain principles.

·                     Mostly they live in the forest. Mostly no contact with the outside world. Mostly live in a self contained self help world.

·                     No complete knowledge of money and economy.

·                     They gather forest produce and get what they want through barter system.

·                     Their technical knowhow is related to the surroundings they live in and the produce they get from their environment.

·                     They have their own separate sub language with its own culture. They are only in the spoken form.

·                     There are no primary data or records available about them if you want to write their history.

·                     They follow the leadership and commands of their own people's leadership and stay within the jurisdiction of their tribal rules.

·                     They have lesser desire or no desire at all for social changes.

·                     They are segregated on the basis of their language, worship and the way in which they go about procuring their daily needs.

Origin

Anthropologists have given the following opinion about the Tamil tribals:

Due to problems of women between vedars and vellalars of Kanchipuram, vellalars married vedar women and went and settled in the hills and became the Malayalzhi tribals.

Mountain men, a hill tribe of Salem District are found in the mountains of Arunootru malai, Bothi malai,

Kalrayan,Kolli malai, Pachaimalai, Palamalai and Servarayan Hills. They are in no way connected with the

Malayali of Kerala in spite of the apparent resemblance of names. However, certain unique feature of the

Malayali culture has leaded some authorities to a theory of culture-historic interrelation with the matriarchal

centre of Kerala

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. It is yet, more probable that the matriarchal remnants of Malayali life go back to ancient time.

Besides to say that pre-Indus, type of south Indian mother-right civilization.

In anatomical features and physical appearance they scarcely differ from the people of the plains. They

speak a Tamil dialect of their own. As the supposed descendants of the Kanchipuram Vellalar, they sometime

assume the name of Kanchi Mandala Vellelar. They are also known as the Karkatha Vellala to distinguish from

Kongu Vellalar. Within the context of the Hindu caste system, they are known as karalar (rulars of the clouds)

or Karala muthali. They used the term Goundar as their caste appolation in their personal names. One of their

proverb states that: without the blossoming of flowers on earth

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.

Some of them believed that they are descendants of the original hunting tribes, Vettuvar, who were

widest spread in all mountains of this district. According to inscriptional evidences, they were migrated to this

district from Kanchipuram in 7th and 11th centuries A.D. All Malayalis strongly believed in their common origin

about which there are at least three versions. All the versions agree on the essential central theme of their

emigration from Kanchipuram in search of a promised land when they could freely practice their religion of

worshiping lord Kariraman. The emigration from Kanchipuram is common with the Kongu Vellalar too

.

According to the chief Guru of tribal community the founder of tribes came with their followers from

Kanchipuram, where their ancestors were lived a dissolute life of irreligion and beastly behavior. In order to

reform them into the religion of Kariraman the leaders (numbering more than ten) led a group charring the lords

insignia (umbrella, fly,-whisk flag) away from Kanchipuram seeking their promised land. They found the

mountains of Eastern Ghats like, Dhamapuri, Salem and south Arcot districts and established they were

settlements.

Language

The language of the tribals gives them a separate identity. The kaarala gounder (malayali) their mother tounge is tamil they came fro group of kaaralan as waariors from kancheepuram…

Worship

Their worshiping ways are as follows:

·                     Their own ancient traditional gods / methodologies

·                     Gods acquired through contact with other people

·                     Hindu religious gods / worship services.

Most of their original ways of worship has disappeared with those tribals who have settled in the plains permanently. The plains tribals  worshiping Maariamman, Karuppusaamy, Sudalaimaadan, Esaki,thirumal,shivan,usilampatti perumal and the likes.

.

Work

The tribals in the higher reaches of the mountains gathered forest produce and hunted. From the forest they gathered Kadukai, honey, Paasem that is used for making explosives and through barter system exchanged them for things they needed.

The quality of the life of tribals have changed after the coming up of cooperatives that purchase the forest produce. Malayalis do agriculture and hunting.

Generally tribal women had the habit of poisoning water to catch fish. But now this practice is not there. The land given by the government to the tribals are being used by other business people who hire the land (Kaannikaarar).

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Medicine

Some tribals know traditional medicine and also herbal medicine. The Kaadar tribals know the herbs for not begetting children and begetting children.

They dry thonna roots, vetti roots and venga roots and powder them. Then mix this with deer horn powder and make the medicine called nalaka. This is given to just pregnant woman for 9-10 days and the pregnancy is stopped temporarily. During treatment, tamarind and lime should not be taken. If you want to get pregnant again one concoction is given. The roots of velli, thanni and poovam are boiled in 2 litters of water and boiled to 1/16 parts and given to the women on empty stomach for three days. They have medicines for easy delivery of babies from expectant mothers. Even while sitting with bent knees they can deliver babies.

TAMIL TRIBALS: THEIR LANGUAGE AND ORIGIN

No.	TRIBAL NAME	LIVING PLACE	LANGUAGE	ORIGIN
1	Aranaadan	Kovai (Annamalai)	Malayala sub language
2	Alu Kurumbar	The Nilgiris	Kannada mixed language	Old Palava tradition
3	Erular	Kovai (Annamalai), Maruthamalai, Siruvaani, Mettupalayam), Kanchipuram(Chengalpattu), Salem, The Nilgiris (Coodaloor, Connor, Kothagiri), Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram	Erula language – Tamil sub language	Driven out by enemies into the hills from Kovai plains
4	Uuraali	The Nilgiris ( Sathyamangalam)	Tamil mixed with Malayalam	The Nilgiris
5	Erukala	Kanchipuram(Chengalpattu)	Tamil sub language - Malayalam mixed	Kuravar tribe
6	Eravalan	Kovai hills	Tamil mixed with Malayalam
7	Kasabar	The Nilgiris (Coodaloor, Udagamandalam	Kasabar language – Kannadam & Tamil mixed	Mysore
8	Kaatu Naayakar	The Nilgiris (Coodaloor, Mudhumalai)	Kannada sub language	Old Palava tribe
9	Kaanikaarar	Kanyakumari (pehchiparai & Keeriparai hills) Tirunelveli (Ambasamudram, Mahendragiri)	Malayalam, Tamil	Pandia Nadu – driven out by Islamic invasion
10	Khaddar	Kovai (Annamalai, Parambikulam, Kangkadavu, Perumpaarai), Trichy, Thanjai	Kannada mixed language	Old Palava tribe
11	Kurumbar	The Nilgiris plains	Kannada mixed	Old Palava tribe
12	Kudimalaikudi	Tamilnadu – Karnataka border hills	Thulu
13	Kurichaan	Dharmapuri	Kannada sub language	Karnataka
14	Kondaaretti	Tamil – Andhra border hills	Telugu
15	Kochu Velan	The Nilgiris higher hills	Malayalam
16	Khothar	The Nilgiris, Erode, Kovai, Dharmapuri	Kannadam & Tamil mixed	Kambatraayan god's sweat
17	Cholikar	The Nilgiris	Kannada sub language
18	Cholzha Nayakar	The Nilgiris
19	Thodar	The Nilgiris	Dravidian sub language	Mesopotamia, sumeria, Sindhi, distant Australia – many views
20	Pathimalasaar	Kovai (Annamalai)	Tamil
21	Palzhiyar	Madurai, Ramanathapuram (Sriviliputhur), Dindigul (west hills)	Tamil	Murugan Valli Palzhiyachiamman
22	Paniyar	The Nilgiris	Tamil- Malayalam sub language	vaannasuram
23	Pulaiyar	Dindigul (Palanimalai), Kovai (Annamalai)	Tamil	Pandian State
24	Petta Kurumbar	The Nilgiris (Coodaloor)	Kannada sub language	Mysore
25	Mahaamalasaar	Kovai (Udumalapettai), Pollahchi, Dindigul (Palzhani)	Tamil
26	Mala Araiyan	The Nilgiris
27	Malakuravan	Kanyakumari	Malayalam	Pandian State
28	Malasaar	Kovai		Karnataka
29	Malapandaram	Kanniyakumari	Malayalam	Pandian State
30	Malamalasaar	Kovai (Annamalai)	Tamil sub language
31	Malayalzhi	Salem, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Trichy	Tamil sub language	Kanchipuram Velallar, Kongu Velallar
32	Malaivedan	Madurai, Villupuram, Kanchipuram, Dharmapuri, Salem, Kovai, Thanjai, Kanniyakumari	Veda language – Tamil & Malayalam mixed	Pandian State hired warriors
33	Mannaan	Madurai (Kodaikanal)	Tamil sub language	Pandian State warriors
34	Muthuvar	Kovai, Madurai	Muthuvar language	Pandian State
35	Mullu Kurumbar	The Nilgiris	Kannada sub language or Malayalam sub language	Shiva who gave a boon to Arjun

Death

The Tamil tribals either burry or put to fire their dead ones. Previously the following practices existed:

The Malayali bury their dead in a particular spot. Now separate pits are available for males and females.

The malayali play music at the burial of their dead. The rituals connected to burying the dead by the tribals can be classified into three stages. First, the burial of the dead programme. Second the five-six day programme following the burial of the dead. And third, the programme on the anniversary of the dead. The tribal leader has an important part in the death rituals of the dead.

There is no particular thought about the soul, though it is believed that the dead person wanders as a soul. But they believe that they can call the soul.Some believe that the soul comes in the form of a crow .

orgins

The Malayali tribals live in the districts like Salem, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Trichy ( Sevarayan malai, Koli malai, Nilgiris hills, Pachai malai). They are also called Malai Velhalar, kongu Velhalar, Kanchi Mandalathar, Malaikaran and Malaigounder.

There is oral tradition that their origin is from Kanchipuram. They may have come to the Kalvarayan hills during the 16th century.

Of the Kongunaatu Velhalar, Periyannan married a woman from the Kaikolars and went to Kalvarayan hills. Naduvannan married a vettuva woman and went to Pachai malai. Chinannan married a vettuva woman and went to Koli hills. Later on, they became Periya Malayali, Pachai Malayali and Koli Malayali. Their language has been formed by the place where they stayed. Some speak Kannada and Tamil. Until 1963, those in the Kalvarayan hills were working as bonded labourers. Now a few of them have become very rich.

Problems And Reasons Thereto Of The Tribal People

·                     The tribals of Tamilnadu live as hillside tribals and plains tribals these are the two lived from ages past in the hills and plains of Tamilnadu.

·                     When the lands of the tribals people where first occupied by the British and then the private estate owners and finally the government which introduced rubber, tea, cardamom farming and industrial building, the tribals fearing the might of the power, left their ancestral homes and lands and began the life of wanderers and orphans and can now be seen living in the city areas.

·                     Those tribals who went to the interior of the forest and made it their homes are called hill tribals. But even today these two groups of tribal people's lives are filled with pain and suffering.

·                     Even in this modern century the tribals are backward in terms of education, economic needs, job opportunities and social freedom and are struggling to make ends meet.

·                     Once upon a time the tribals were the hill kings who ruled the forests and the hills. Today, though the government, under the care of the forest department has given the tribals land to use for agricultural purposes, have not given any land rights to the tribals. So the tribals are living like refugees in their own forest.

·                     When tribal students approach the banks for loans for studies and self employment schemes, the bank managers refuse to sanction loans because of the tribals' non ability to produce asset securities. This has affected the growth of the tribals.

·                     The hesitation of the government to issue caste certificates to the tribals who used to own these hills and forest from antiquity and the delaying tactics of officials to issue community certificates using enquiry procedures as an excuse, has helped to hinder the progress of the tribals.

·                     It is the height of sadness to see the tribal people living in the plains, sleeping in the streets because of not having their own houses and wandering like nomads.

·                     It is an open secret as to how these tribal people are caught by the police and forest officials and implicated in false cases and how tribal women are subjected to sexual harassment.

·                     Because of the above reasons a awareness filled society was needed to look after the continuing problems of the tribals and to put an end to it, to bring unity within the tribals and to uplift their social and educational conditions.

Demands Placed Before The State And Central Governments By The Society

·                     That the Tamilnadu government should implement the 5th schedule of the 244th section of the Indian constitution amidst the tribals thereby granting power to the village committees of the tribal people, by passing the necessary special orders through the governor and implementing the tribal welfare schemes.

·                     That the forest rights laws – 2006, brought out by the Indian government, regarding the ancestral forest rights of the tribals be implemented in Tamilnadu among all the tribals and all right as enshrined in the laws be granted to the tribals and encouraged.

·                     That village committees empowered with the rights enshrined in the constitution be created in all the settlements of the tribals and awareness be created with regards to education and society and health, forming basic rules, thereby strengthening the traditional village life of the tribals.

·                     That the government should appoint special officers in the forest department, district wise to implement the atrocities prevention laws which serve as a fortress of protection to the tribals and that cases filed under these laws be tried in special courts created in each district for this purpose.

·                     That officials who refuse to give community certificate to the tribal in the name of enquiry and managers who refuse to give loans in the guise of not having securities be tried under the atrocities prevention laws for trying to spoil the life of the tribals.

·                     That the Tamilnadu government tribal welfare committee known as the elders council which is being constituted by the government for the welfare of the tribals be constituted and representatives of all the tribal communities be made members of this council and the council be made to function after if is duly empowered.

·                     That the Tamilnadu government conduct a proper census of the tribal population and find out the vital statistics of the community and after due considerations of the basic needs and requests of the tribal people, must form welfare schemes for the tribals and continue to execute the welfare schemes for the people.

·                     That a special assembly seat be constituted in every district for the representation of the tribal people to represent the socio – political needs of the community.

·                     That ten acres of agricultural land be given to each tribal family and that loans be given for agricultural purposes so as to carry out agricultural work.

·                     That the forest department should provide solar electrified fences to the lands of the tribal people doing agricultural work in the forest so that forest animals do not destroy the crops being grown.

·                     That the qualities of the soil of the agricultural land of the tribals be examined and training be imparted through the agricultural department of the government as to the methodology of growing the best crops suitable for the type of land the tribals own.

·                     That in each tribal village the government should construct day care centers, primary schools, health centers, mid day meal centers, common latrines, waste bins, community halls, art performance stages and play grounds.

·                     That the government must give a 10% quota concession to the tribals in the matter of education, technical higher studies, higher education and job opportunities and uplift the living standards of the tribals.

·                     That both male and female tribal people be given training for self employment and small unconditional loans be got for them from banks to stat their work.

·                     That the government should bring forth a scheme for the upkeep and safeguarding of tribal medicine, herbs and medical practices.

·                     That tribal women be given education, life sciences education, industrial training, social consciousness awareness and law awareness added to which protection must be given to tribal woman from sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

·                     That day care centers be established in all tribal settlements and basic education and strengthfull food be given to tribal children between the ages 0 -5.

·                     That school dropout be identified, counseled and made to rejoin schools and continue education under the education for all scheme.

·                     That forest committees constituted by the forest officials be reconstituted and educated social service minded youth be inducted into these committees and made operational.

·                     That tribal welfare human rights protection cells be created in each district and fast action be taken against excesses with regards to human rights violations, brutality against tribals and race / caste discriminations.

·                     That though the above demands have been made after due consideration with regards to the basic needs of the tribal society, demands may vary from tribe to tribe and these will be addressed by those particular tribes and the respective demands will be placed before the government for action.