Impact of Malabar Migration in the Agricultural Sector of Kerala - a Case Study of Kannur
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Vol 11, Issue 4 ,April/ 2020 ISSN NO: 0377-9254 IMPACT OF MALABAR MIGRATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF KERALA - A CASE STUDY OF KANNUR Jaison V. Joseph Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, EKNM Government College, Elerithattu, Kasaragode(Dt), Kerala, 670511 Abstract significance in the context of commercialization of agriculture, development of economy of the settled Migration is as old as the history of area, increase of population etc. The pulls and mankind. The farmers of southern districts of pressures in the agricultural sector continue to Kerala, especially from Kottayam district migrated exert their influence on the overall course of to Malabar region (Kannur and Calicut districts) in economic activity. search of fertile agricultural land for their Peasant Migration in Kerala – A Historical livelihood and survival as early as 1930s and came perspective to end in mid 1970s. The study made an attempt to The Jews, the Arabs, the Syrian measure the agricultural contribution of migrants to Christians, the Konkani Brahmins, the Tamil Kerala economy by taking the Kannur district as a Brahmins and a host of other ethnic groups have sample area of migrant settled place which is come and settled in Kerala on various occasions in identified by the appropriate sampling method.The the past. Similarly people of Kerala are now paper reveals that 14.61 % of population of migrant moving to different parts of the world in search of dominated panchayaths cultivates 32.44 % of land jobs. The two important streams of migration that under Kannur district and contributes sizeable share the 20th century Kerala witnessed are 1) migration of SDP. of farmers from Travancore to the highlands of Index Terms: agriculture, christian,crop, Malabar and 2) migration of semiskilled and migration, parish unskilled labourers to the Gulf and Arabian countries. Now a day’s second stream of migration Introduction is experienced in Kerala as, a) The migration of Migration has been a major source of second generation peasants from Malabar region to human survival, adaptation, and growth across the Shimoga region and b) Increased number of centuries and millennia. In the early days, human migrated labourers from North India to Kerala. migration was accompanied by anticipation, The migration of the peasants from excitement and fear, the fracturing of long-standing central Travancore to Malabar took place social relationships, heartaches, tensions, and even without any design or organization or leadership bloodshed between the migrants and the local and was invariably related to their issues of populations, and the willing or unwilling exchange livelihood and existence as well . The proverb of ideas, skills, attitudes, and genes. The ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions’ overwhelming majority of people who move do so really motivates the people to migrate to inside their own country and data reveals that Malabar . A large number of people treats internal migration is four times higher than Malabar migration as more powerful and international migration. (http://hdr.undp.org, adventurous than even the discovery of US by (accessed on 25/07/2010) And when it comes to Columbus and they believes that Malabar internal migration, case of Indian economy is of migration is the summation of their particular interest because of the strong industriousness, persuasiveness, mental and heterogeneity across states in their levels of per physical power, will power, perseverance, grit, capita income, and demographic characteristics tears and sacrifice. The syrian catholic christians (Cashin, P and R. Sahay) The importance of were the largest section among them, their migration in developing countries cannot be settlements led to the establishment of churches overemphasised and it has acquired special and schools, which became torches of learning in www.jespublication.com Page No:1423 Vol 11, Issue 4 ,April/ 2020 ISSN NO: 0377-9254 the jungles of Malabar. The migrants are which forms 7.64% of the total area of Kerala. hardworking, enterprising and dynamic who The population of Kannur district according to work hard from sun rise to sun set without 2011 census is 2523003 which constitute 7.56 % food and sleep. After sustaining, the migrants of Kerala and the density is 852. The religion by competing to weather, animals, diseases, wise population of Kannur district says that famine and soil, they began to cultivate long 62.94% belongs to hindus, 26.67% muslims and term commercial crops like rubber, areca nut, 10.72% as christians. Around 95% of the coconut, cashew nut etc. This also created an migrants of Kannur district belong to christian enlightened new generation farmers and converted community. the vacant rocky land of Malabar into a paradise of Migrant dominated parishes and panchayath farming activities. But even after nine decades From the Christian dominated blocks, since the beginning of Malabar migration, the 15 migrants dominated Panchayats were benefits attributed by the Malabar migration are identified and their population is 323364 which either neglected or side-lined by the administrators is 12.85% of Kannur district. The TGA of these and policy makers. It may be due to the lack of panchayath is 105.75 sq.km which constitutes proper studies with statistical evidences to prove 35.59 % of Kannur district. It means that 36% of there existed migration to a large extent and it is TGA is consumed by 12% of population only by the efforts done by travancore peasants belonging to these 15 panchayats. The density of contributed to the agricultural development of population of these panchayats (307) is less than Kerala and not by the early inhabitants. the identified blocks (498) and Kannur district Objectives (852). It clearly says that the acreage of land The main objective of the present study possessed by individual house hold in these are to analyse the contribution made by the panchayath is too high as compared to blocks, migrants to the agricultural and economic district and Kerala. development of Kerala. The christian population of the district is Source of data and sampling design 10.72% and for the present study we assume that Even though the migration to Malabar 95% of christians are living in these panchayats covers six districts, the present study is limited to who constitutes the lion’s share of migrants in Kannur district. From the Directory of Arch the Kannur district. The number of parishes Diocese of Thalassery, we have identified the belongs to Kannur and Kasaragod district is 194 parishes whose (christian) population exceed whose total population is 277256 which are 7.23 % 3000. The identified parishes relates to various of the population of Kannur and Kasaragod district panchayath. From these , we have selected 15 (3830378). The migrant roman catholic christian panchayath of five blocks in the erstwhile population constitutes 8.61% of the total population Kannur District for the study. The panchayath of Kannur district whereas the same in the case of wise data on agricultural production of various Kasaragod district is only 4.58 %. It clearly shows crops is collected from the Krishibhavans of the predominant role played by the migrants in the district of 2016-17. The total geographical Kannur district. area (TGA) of Kannur district is 297.112 sq.km Table 1: Composition of population in Kannur and Kasaragod Kannur Kasaragod Filial churches Total population 2523003 1307375 Christian population 217275 59981 6139 283395 Percentage 8.61 4.58 Source: Computed www.jespublication.com Page No:1424 Vol 11, Issue 4 ,April/ 2020 ISSN NO: 0377-9254 Among the migrant population of Kannur district, 52.14 percent lives in the following parish which constitutes a population of 113303. Table 2: Parish wise population of kannur district Sl.no Parish Population 1 Edoor 8235 2 Chemperi 6026 3 Peravoor 5430 4 Kudianmala 5000 5 Chempanthotty 4839 6 Alakode 4218 7 Palavayal 4150 8 Marygiri 3981 9 Manikkadavu 3800 10 Paisakkary 3753 11 Karikkottakkari 3703 12 Udayagiri 3620 13 Velimanam 3194 14 Angadikkadavu 3100 15 Vayattuparamba 2920 16 Pulingome 2882 17 Chandanakkampara 2864 18 Vilakkannur 2837 19 Perumpadavu 2666 20 Cherupuzha 2597 21 Pulikkurumba 2500 22 Thaliparamba 2500 23 Vellad 2492 24 Karuvanchal 2456 25 Thirumeni 2416 www.jespublication.com Page No:1425 Vol 11, Issue 4 ,April/ 2020 ISSN NO: 0377-9254 26 Nellikkampoyil 2389 27 Kolakkad 2264 28 Peratta 2148 29 Ulikkal 2135 30 Kunnoth 2103 31 Puravayal 2098 32 Kanichar 2020 33 Nellikkuty 2009 34 Nellippara 1980 35 Manippara 1978 Total 113303 Migrant population 217275 Total population 2523003 To examine the agricultural and economic migrants are settled in these places and it is given development of Kannur district due to migration, table 3. The only parish which comes under we identified those panchayath which belongs to Kasaragod district is Thomapuram but it is very these 35 parishes in Kannur district. The selection important to notice the fact that Thomapuram is a is also substantiated with the fact that these place which is the boundary of Kannur district and parishes are the earliest parishes formed under the due to geographical division alone they lie under Diocese of Thalassery and it clearly says that Kasaragod district. Table 3: Old parishes of Kannur district Parish Year of establishment District Peravoor 1928 Kannur Kudianmala 1942 Kannur Edoor 1946 Kannur Chempery 1948 Kannur Nellikkampoil 1948 Kannur Thomapuram 1948 Kasaragod Kilianthara 1949 Kannur Paisakkari 1949 Kannur Angadikkadavu