DEEP IN THE FORESTS —
STRANGE PEOPLE MAKE AN UNUSUAL HABITAT
We all are familiar with the word tribe but have you ever thought about their lifestyle, activities and how they differ from other ordinary people. They are the people who know the rhythm of the forest, which is evident from the historical books and Vedas.
India is known for its tribal heritage. Out of India’s 75 primitive tribes, five are from Kerala; among them Cholanaikkans are the second most primitive Indigenous community. Karulai and Chungathara forest ranges near Nilambur are their traditional residents. The name Cholnaikkans itself defines them ‘Chola’ or ‘shoals’ means deep evergreen forest, and ‘naikan’ means King. They have a unique Cholanaikkan language which is a mixture of Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. They prefer semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests and find shelter in temporary houses and caves. Their livelihood depends on food-gathering, hunting and minor forest produce collection like honey, black dammer, mosses, nutmeg etc.
Their society follows a highly patriarchal system, and if a man has no son, his nephew inherits his property. Women have no right to property and no authority in the family matter. Isn’t that strange? Their population numbered approximately 426 which are divided into many groups, and each group has a well-defined forest area, and such rights are strictly respected. To protect them, the government of Kerala organises a weekly interaction programme with the tribes every Wednesday. Officials from the Integrated Tribal Development Project (IDTP), Health Department, Police and Forest department visit the Mancheery colony for this purpose. During these meetings, they are given a weekly ration of rice, wheat, oil, potatoes, spices and onions etc. During such interactions, the Cholanaikkans can also sell their products such as honey, baskets, black dammer, wild gooseberries etc. The state government has built about thirty houses for them by the banks of river Karimpuzha, but they prefer to stay in the interiors. The authorities try their best to help provide them with education, medicines, but they prefer to stick to their traditional practices.
Cholanaikkans are closely connected to the forest. Watching the Cholanaickans go about their daily lives, there is no avoiding the feeling that their way of life is doomed. When asked if they would prefer to participate in life outside their forest, their answer was a definite ‘NO’. “Never,” said some, “we are better off in the forest and would like to be left alone forever.”
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