ADIVASI-KURUMBA CORPSES PERFORM THEIR OWN BURIAL A study based on the Alienation of culture, peformance and develpoment of the Adivasi -Kurumbas of Attapady Dr. Ramachandran Mokeri School of Drama Calicut University (KRP/00/155/ 1997) RESEARCH PROJECT THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE KERALA RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON LOCAL LEVEL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 12 OCTOBER 2000. 2 C ON T E NT Preface Acknowledgement Page No. 1-19 Chapter One The Design of Discourse Chapter Two Methodology in Performance 20-28 Chapter Three Part I The Forests of Ideograms 29-57 Part II The Inter-subjective Kurumba 58-70 Chapter Four Part I The Kurumba Reality in Performance 71-99 Part II The Kurumba Unreality in Performance 100-111 Part III The Kurumba Real/Unreal Nexus 112-118 119-132 Chapter Five Conclusion: the Performetrics of Kurumba Massacre Bibliography 3 AC KNO WL E DGE M E NT This KRPLLD Research Project of the Centre for Development Studies, Tiruvananthapuram has become much larger in scope than it was originally proposed and approved. The unstinted support from the KRPLLD and its Programme Co-ordinator Dr. K. Narayanan Nair in particular, made the process of this action-oriented research to reach a level of innovative fulfilment. I express my love and deepest gratitude to the KRPLLD and Dr. Narayanan Nair. The performative research work was greatly assisted by many, but the Adivasi Kurumbas demand immense love and thanks for co-operating whole-heartedly with the discourse. I would also like to express my heart-felt thanks to the following organisations and persons in particular: · The Tribal Welfare Club in Dasanur, Attapady, under the leadership of the Adivasi Activist, Sri. D. Narayanan. From beginning to end, all the members of the club and the hamlet people of Dasanur continued to support the project in every possible way. The veteran performers of Harischandra Koothu, Sri Venthan, Sri. Murugan, Sri. Bomman, Sri. Resan Master and Sri. Vinod supported the performative fieldwork in every way. · The non-Adivasi research group comprising Sri. Unni Kohinoor and the School of Drama Staff, Sri. K.R. Mohanan, Sri Gangadharan, Dr. B. Anathakrishnan, Sri. Purushothaman, Sri. Remesh Babu, Sri. Krishnan and my colleagues and students of School of Drama. · Dr. P. P. Pillai, Director, Institute of Planning and Applied Economic Research, Dr. John Mathai Centre, Calicut University for giving permission to affiliate the research programme with the Institute. · The I.T.D.P. Agali and AHADS for providing valuable secondary data. · Dr. N. Viswanathan Nair, Director, KIRTADS, Kozhikode. · Bins Studio, Trichur for their co-operation in Video-documentation, editing work etc · Mr. Sahir and his associates at Infratec, Calicut University for the computer work connected with the research. · Sri. P. V. Valsaraj and Sri. Om Prakash of Calicut University for giving artistic assistance for the lay out and design of the photo-plates and the cover. · Sri. K. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Mayor, Trichur Corporation for the humanitarian infrastructural assistance to start the Home for Destitute Adivasi Children-- Kanagam -- with its Centre for Alternative Education for Adivasis in Dasanur. · Special love and thanks to my wife Usha, and sons Manu and Jones for the hardships they suffered during the project phase. Love to my brother Sada and family for their everlasting inspiration. 4 PREFACE THESE FRAGMENTS I HAVE SHORED FROM THE KURUMBA RUINS Manne nambilelayya maramirukku Marathe nambilelayya ilayirakku Ilaye nambilelayya poovirukku Poove nambilelayya kayirukku Kaye nambilelayya namirukku Namme nambilelayya natrirukku (An Adivasi -Kurumba song) [Entrusted and nurtured by earth, the tree grows, hey you Entrusted and nurtured by trees, the leaves grow, hey you Entrusted and nurtured by leaves, the flowers grow, hey you Entrusted and nurtured by flowers, the fruits ripe, hey you Entrusted and nurtured by fruits, the Adivasis live, hey you And entrusted and nurtured by us, the land survives, hey you]. This intersubjective document of culture, performance and development of the Adivasi Kurumbas of Attapady is at one and the same time a document of human barbarism and oppression. The attempt made in the following chapters, sums up the action-oriented creative research discourse on the primordial kurumba socio-cultural dynamics. The performative analysis is duly substantiated by video-documentation of the process of research. What has become obvious, ultimately, is the fast pace of fragmentation of the outer and inner self of the 1612 kurumbas who have become the tragic victims of development that takes place within the world -renowned Kerala Model of social transformation. The Adivasi Kurumbas inform us: If you want to participate in the burial rites of the kurumbas, take any route, starting from any place. Come at any time or at any season. It makes no difference to the burial. Only thing you should do is to put off reason and logic. Because you are here not to verify or submit a report on us. But be careful: "What the dead had no speech for when living, they can tell you being buried: the voice of the dead is tongued with fire beyond the language of the living". And these fragments of kurumba reality and unreality 'tongued with fire', I have shored from the forests of Adivasi ruins in Attapady. Dr. Ramachandran Mokeri (LOC: KRP 97/pp155) Asst. Director Calicut University School of Drama and Fine Arts Date:12-10-00 Calicut University, 680 618, Kerala. 5 Chapter One THE DESIGN OF DISCOURSE 1.1. EPIGRAPH : THE IDEOGRAM OF THE KURUMBA IN THE PARROT’S BODY Years ago, a sorcerer of the Kurumba tribe used to come daily to the villages of the Kotas, kill the Kota men, and sleep with all the beautiful women. The Kotas talked about it to each other a lot and wanted to find a way of killing him off. As he had done similar things to the neighbouring Toda tribesmen, the Kotas and the Todas also talked to each other and came to a decision, “Let’s hide near the path at the edge of the forest, waylay that black Kurumba, and cut him to pieces,” they said. And so they did. When the Kurumba came walking that way, they jumped on him cut off his arms and legs, and threw them in all directions. But as they were happily returning, telling each other how good it was to kill the evil sorcerer, the arms and legs they had thrown about suddenly came together and that black Kurumba was right in front of them, standing in their path, laughing his head off. He said, “Hey, you Kotas, you Todas, so you killed me, did you? Look, I‘ve come back. You useless fellows, you think you can kill me like that?” The Kotas and the Todas were dumbstruck at this miracle and said, “Look at this wonder! What can we do against such a man?” Then in great fear they went home to their villages. Within weeks, many good men among the Kotas and the Todas died and their wives became wailing widows. The villages were filled with the sound of lamentation. The Kurumba was pleased with himself. “I took my revenge, a head for a head!” he said to himself and laughed with great satisfaction. He came every day to the village, pronounced his charms from a distant field, and whatever woman he thought to would come to him of her own accord, alone, and give herself to him. But, as they say, the sorcerer’s wife knows more than the sorcerer. So it was with that black Kurumba’s wife. She changed herself into a kite and came flying over all the seven villages of the Kotas. She too had her charms, which she would utter: then all the strong handsome men would come by themselves, sleep with her, and go home by evening. She took the men, and her husband, the black Kurumba, took the women. The villagers said “One day his downfall will come” And it did. One day, he was sitting under a hill-guava tree, eating his fill of the fruit. A parrot sat on one of the branches, lamenting and screaming in great sorrow. The Kurumba understood the language of birds. So he asked, “Hey, parrot, why are you crying so much? The parrot said, “What can I say? My husband, who was life of my life, died today. I’m heartbroken and I can’t stop crying. Who will end my grief? 6 The black Kurumba’s heart melted with pity for her and he wanted to comfort her somehow. So he himself entered into the body of the parrot that had died. In an instant, the parrot came alive and flew with a whirr to his wife. The parrot wife was happy and kissed the male parrot and said, “You tricked me. You wanted to test me. You pretended to be dead and made me cry and watched me, didn’t you? You males cannot be trusted. You don’t have hearts like us”. Then they flew around each other, and the female suddenly saw the Kurumba’s body lying dead under the tree. The dead man’s mouth was open; his arms and legs were stretched straight out. She said, “Poor man. Only a few minutes ago, he was talking to me. He took pity on my grief. I must do something in return”. Then she took a leaf of the tree and prayed to God, saying, “If I’m a true parrot, please grant me of the tree and prayed to God, saying, “If I’m a true parrot, please grant me a boon. Just as I wept for my mate, this man’s wife must be weeping her hear out for him somewhere.