Socio-Cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi- a Micro Historical Study

Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi- A Micro Historical Study Acknowledgements The Research Team wishes to thank Kerala Research Programme for Local Level Development, and especially DR.K.N.Nair and Dr.P.R.Gopinathan Nair, for approving the project proposal and give all the necessary help and encouragement for completing work and submitting this report. We wish to thank Prof. Sayed Iqbal Hasnain, Vice Chancellor , University of Calicut, and Dr.P.P.Mohammed, Registrar for overseeing the research project and enabling its speedy conclusion. We also wish to thank prof. T.K.Ummer and Dr.M.Dasan, the previous registrars of the University, as the idea and the proposal was realized during their tenure. We also wish to Thank Prof.V.Kunhali, Dr.K.J.John and all the other colleagues of the Department of History, University, whose co-operation enabled us to find the time and enthusiasm to complete the work. WE wish to thank Sri . Kutty Ahmad Kutty MLA, Tirurangadi constituency who showed unreserved enthusiasm for the work, and without whose support we would not have been able to carry out the work. We also wish to thank Smt. Ullat Rasiya, President, Tirurangadi Block Panchayat, Sri.M.A.Kader, Vicepresident, Tirurangadi Block Panchayat, and Sri.Kunhapputty, Standoing Committee Chairman, who supported us in every way. WE also wish to thank Adv.Abdur Rahim, President, Tirurangadi Grama Panchayat, Smt. Jameela Teacher, President, Parappanangadi Panchayat, Smt. C.P.Jameela President, nannambra Panchayat, and Sri. Ahmadkutty haji, who assumed office of the President in the course of our work, Sri. Koyakutty haji, President, Peruvallur Panchayat, Sri.P.M.Moideenkoya haji, President, Thenhippalam Panchayat, Smt. Preetha Rani, President, Vallikkunnu Panchayat, and Smt.V.K.Subaida, President, Munniyur panchayat for all the help rendered by them personally and through their office. All the Panchayat members co-operated in organizing karanavakkoottams and helping us with information and contacts on their respective wards. We do not wish to name each one of them for their cooperation, and we thank each one of them. However, a few names will have to be mentioned ,and they are Sri.U.Kalanathan and Radhakrishnan of Vallikkunnu Panchayat, Ashraf of Peruvallur Panchayat, Shamsuddin of Munniyur Panchayat, Smt. Rukkiya of Nannmbra Panchayat, nad Smt.Pushpa od Munniyur Panchayat, and Sr.Abdurahiman kutty of Parappanangadi Panchayat, who had become activists of the project. We thank each one of them. We wish to thank the Principal, PSMO College Tirurangadi for helping us to organize the initial discussions on the project and rendering assistance in so many ways. We also wish to thank the teaching staff of the History Department, PSMO College for taking a live interest in the project, especially Dr. K.K.Mohammed Abdul Sattar and P.P.Abdurazak. We wish to thank our friends in the respective Panchayats who acted as co- coordinators although some of them could not stay throughout, due to their other commitments. The project conveners were Sr. Mohammed kavarodi( Tirurangadi),Shamsuddin( Munniyur) Sri.C.K.Madhavan( Thenhippalam), Sri abdulhameed (Peruvallur), A.Subrahmanyan (Parappanangadi), M.P.Mohammed Hasan (Nannambra) and P.Devadasan(Vallikkunnu). We thank each one of them. It is very difficult to thank all the volunteers and those who participated in the Karanavakkoottams individually. Our records show that those who participated in the walking came to about hundred, about 362 volunteers were involved in the survey and more than 600 participated in the Karanavakkoottams. Without their contributions this project would have been impossible to be completed. We are mentioning our main activists separately, but even the people who answered our questions on the road were contributing to this effort. We wish to record our indebtedness to all of them. Finally we would like to thank the Director, Kerala State archives, Trivandrum for giving the project co-coordinator permission to consult the Archives. The project team and the Co-coordinator are responsible for all the data provided and arguments made in the course of this report, and the friends mentioned above are in no way responsible for them. Nor does it represent the opinion of Government or any other agency. K.N.GANESH Project Team Obligor Dr. P.P.Mohammed- Registrar, University of Calicut Coordinator K.N.Ganesh, Reder, Department of History, University of Calicut Project Assistants Sreelatha Damodaran Vindukala K.T. Project workers in Panchayats( on voluntary basis) Tirurangadi panchayat Mohammed kavarodi( Convener) K.T.Baburajan K.P.Sharafudheen K.Karthyayani P.Sheeja V.P.Vijayasree Parappanangadi Panchayat A.Subramanyan( Convener) K.Abdul Azeez Nafeesu Fowsiya Smitha Siddik Vallikkunnu Panchayat P.Devadasan( Convener)* Sunitha Sheeja Shylavathi Vijayalaksnmi Binduja Jijitha Thenhippalam Panchayat C.K.Madhavan( Convener) V.K.Ummerkoya Faisal Peruvallur Panchayat Abdul Hameed ( Convener) Kooneri Krishnan Vineetha Prasanna Rasib Mohammed Ali Munniyur Panchayat Shamsuddin ( Convener) AbdulRasak Pushpa Babitha Lakshmi Fasal Nannambra Panchayat M.P.Mohammed Hassan ( Convener) Moideenkutty Pachai V.P.Shihab Rajas Khan Other Volunteers Sreevidhya V. Rajesh K.P. Priyamole M.S. Anandi T.K. Socio-cultural processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi- A Micro historical study Abstract The project has aimed at a micro historical study that would throw light on certain trends in the contemporary social and economic life of Tirurangadi, which may be briefly outlined as follows; a) Although the region is entirely agrarian, a significant shift from agrarian to non- agrarian mode of livelihood has been observed in the region, which is manifested in the Census and the other relevant information base on the area. b) This has resulted in the absolute decline of agriculture in the area. However, there has not been corresponding increase of any of the non-agricultural forms of production, and the only areas that seem to have developed are trade and commerce and construction activities c) A large number of households in the area have been subsisting on remittances from abroad. The remittances have also been responsible for the commercial prosperity of the region. However, this prosperity has been founded on flimsy socio-economic base. d) Despite this prosperity, a large number of people, especially women are unemployed. This is despite the growth of educational opportunities and health care facilities, and this means that a substantial percentage of the human labor power in the region is unutilized or underutilized. e) All these raise the problems of the future course of development of the region, and the debates have been mainly concentrated on how to make the best use of the opportunities provided by globalization. This also seems to be feasible in the background of the remittances by the non-residents. However, there is the question as to how far the market friendly option is sustainable; that is when, agriculture is declining and no industry is emerging, and majority of the human power is unemployed or underemployed, can we depend on market option and remittances from abroad alone? These observations provided the frame work of the project which was carried out in three stages; a) the first was a detailed geographical exploration of the region, through what the research team called ‘walking’, which involved directly observing all the features of geography, flora and fauna, settlement patterns and cultural spaces; b) The second were interviews with the local population, both individually and on a focused group basis, by convening small groups of old and experienced people, called ‘karanavakkoottams’. c) The third was a detailed socio-cultural survey of the region. Primary and secondary sources on the region were also collected by the research team simultaneously with the above mentioned stages of work. The findings of our investigation, being included in the report are the following; a) The geographical features of the Tirurangadi region have played a major role in the making of the livelihood patterns of the region. The geography is characterized by undulating terrain with uplands, slopes and low lying regions and the Kadalundi River, flowing across the region has played a major role in the making of livelihood. Agriculture in the region was a matter of hard labor, and it involved both land and water management. Large part of the wetlands and parambas were controlled by a few landlords. b) Proximity to the coast, the use of Kadalundi River as a means of transport and the existence of coastal ports of trade such as Calicut also promoted trade and commerce in the region. Although the region could not produce enough surplus to support large political powers, it could facilitate local trade. Trade and cultivation along the River also facilitated expansion of settlements in the area. c) British rule exacerbated the contradiction between the already existing landlords and small cultivators and laborers. The British rule legally supported the rights of the landlords, introduced their own administrative mechanisms, and also were probably instrumental in creating the antagonism between nayars and Muslims. The conditions of social and economic oppression resulted in social conflict, which also took the form of anti-British revolts. d) The decline of landlordism was a result of the widespread upheaval that took place all over Kerala, which had its impact in the region also. This created an economy of

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