Irula People
A Sketch
Irulas are one of the largest people groups among the tribes in South India.
These hill people are found in the lower regions of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, and
Chengalpattu of Tamil Nadu and the borders of Kerala and Karnataka states. The
word “Irula” comes from the root word ‘Irul’, which means darkness or night.
These people indeed live in the darkest forest of Nilgiris. The alternate names
to Irula are Irulavan, Irulan, and Urali. There are no written records of the
origin and migration of the Irulas of the Nilgiris. They are believed to be
part of the earliest migrants to India- Negritos- who must have come from
Africa in the prehistoric period before 4000 B.C.
Population & Constitutional Status As per the 1971 census,
there were 89,025 people in Tamil Nadu alone, in addition to those living in
the nearby states- Kerala and Karnataka. [Karnataka – about 3000; Kerala (1981
census) 17832] Most of them live in the Hill Jungles. The estimated present
population is approximately 2,00,000. They are listed as scheduled
Tribes.
Family and Housing Family Though instances
of polygamy are found, the Irulas are generally monogamous. Marriage after
adolescence is common and the traditional custom of consanguineous marriage is
always insisted upon. Marriage by elopement is also practiced. Irulas usually
follow a micro family structure. But in some cases, joint family structures are
also found.
Housing An Irula hamlet will have a dozen or more
huts houses loosely scattered in small groups in the steep slopes of the
mountain. Houses are usually built with wooden posts, bamboos, grass (jame
pullu), and mud, which are easily available in the area. The Harijan welfare
department of Tamil Nadu is constructing houses for the Irulas and about 300
houses had been built in this area.
Social relationship – External There are four
kinds of Irulas as follows: 1. Male Nadu Irulas 2. Vettakedu Irulas 3. Kasabas
Irulas 4. Urali Irulas Among the Uralis and Kasabas, intercaste marriage is
found very less. Others are accustomed to inter-caste marriages with other
Tamil-speaking tribes.
Social relationship – Internal: Irula clan is called a
Kula. There are 8 kulas. 7 kulas have 33 sub kulas. The marital relationship,
funeral rights, and other social functions are determined by membership in different
kulas. Each kula is an endogamous unit in the sense, intermarriage among the
sub-kulas of a kula is not permitted. Only marriage across kulas is permitted
in the tribe.
Food and Livelihood In early it was
stated that they were hunters and food gatherers. They collect honey, wax,
deer’s horn, and jungle fruits, and other forest products. They are mostly
non-vegetarians. Most of the men folk consume alcohol and are used to smoking.
Both men and women chew pan -tobacco with beetle nuts. Manual labour is the
main occupation. Coffee and tea estate in some areas give them seasonal works.
Some will be engaged in making bamboo baskets. They also cultivate guava and
pomegranate.
Village Leadership Strong unity and
fraternity are found. Every hamlet has a tribal council or panchayat, headed by
a chairman, called gottygara. Disputes are settled by this council. The
headship of a village and other offices in the village council are
hereditary.
Religion The Irulas are animists who also worship Hindu
deities. The deity of Rangaswamy is considered the most important god. There is
a temple seen is at the Rangaswamy peak. Other know deities are mariamman,
konatha mari and karibandrayan and a few other male gods. In addition to these
gods and goddesses each of the eight classes has one deity each. Thus there are
33 deities located in different places of worship in the Nilgiris. All the
members of the each sub kula will assemble on a fixed date for the worship.
They also worship their ancestors and offer sacrifices to them. Mostly goats
are offered. They do witchcraft by themselves and with the help of another
tribe- Krumbas.
Hinduism Broadly speaking the
Irulas are considered Hindus who don’t attach much importance to the various
practices of Hindu sects. Some of the words used in the religion conforms to
the influence they had from Sanskritisation and Hinduism.
Cognitive Processes Responding to
information or to make decisions, they consult their family members or
relatives. They will be influenced by the majority and external factors also
like suggestions from landlords and other respected people in the region.
Language The status of Irula as a separate language
from Tamil or as a divergent form of Tamil has been debated by scholars. Irula
language belongs to the Dravidian family. The researcher Diffloth had concluded
that Irula is closely related to Tamil. Louis had suggested that Irula is a
dialect of Tamil with more Kannada language words. But Kamil Zevelibil had
treated the Irula as a separate language. Dr. S. V. Shanmugam also defined
Irula as a separate language in the South Dravidian family. Dr. Periyalvar who
did a doctorate in Irula Language had noted some unique features in the
phonological and grammatical structure in the language and concluded that Irula
must stand as a separate language. Irulas are bilinguals and can also speak
Tamil. Generally, they do not speak Irula in the presence of non-Irulas. Due to
their social insecurity and inferiority complex, they think that their speech
is not a language.
Varieties /Dialects There are four
dialects spoken by the Irula people living in different areas. 1. Melai Nadu
Irula –This is the ‘purest’ form of their speech, spoken in Nilgiris and
southern parts. 2. Vettakada Irula: This is spoken by the people living in
Mettupalayam and Coimbatore areas. 3. Urali: This is a very different kind of
Irula language with Kannada words and spoken by the people who live in and
around Sathyamangalam. 4. Kassabba: The kasaru means ‘confused’. This is
considered confused with Malayalam and Kannada.
Development of Writing Though researchers have
published a primer part I using the Tamil script, the language does not have
any written form. There are songs and folklores and folk tales existing in
Irula Language. But all are in oral speech form only. The gospel according to
Mark is translated and published in Irula. And Literacy works are under
progress by BIT-LIT.
Education The government had started Tribal residential schools at
Kunjappanai, Aravenu, Mettukkal, and a few other places of Ooty Taluk. There
are elementary High and Higher Secondary Schools for the people. These are in
the Tamil medium. In the elementary classes, the teachers speak Tamil by
telling equivalent words in Irula. But in higher standards, the students are
proficient in Tamil. The Harijan welfare board of the government is addressing
Tribal Education. Schools and teachers are placed by the board. For teachers,
preference is given to the Tribals teachers but not several are found. There
are only seven or eight known Irula school teachers. Though the Tribal welfare
school provides free bounding and hostel facilities, many boys and girls drop
out. Most of the parents prefer their older children to take care of the
younger ones or to work as labourers to add to the family income.
Literacy According to the census
report is literacy is 31 percent. In most cases, this means the ability to
right their name and put a signature. Most of the Irula adults are uneducated
and are unable to read and write. But due to the Tribal Residential school, the
primary education rate is increased to a better level. The government literacy
work had published a primer but it was not used much in the adult education
program. Adult literacy efforts made earlier proved to be a failure in the
Nilgiris district, leaving the people still in the darkness caused by
illiteracy. BIT-LIT is running an evening literacy center in one of the
villages and giving coaching to school-going children. The existence of a
school in every cluster of Irula villages is favorable even for adult literacy.
The ideal time for learning for these working tribal people is night. But
wildlife and household works are challenges to those who want to learn.
Health and Development Most of the development
works such as education, health centers, and provision of water by the
government are confined to the villages on roadsides. These are also irregular
and do not reach the neediest. A considerable size of the land is given to
every family but often they lack the know-how, resources, and motivation to
cultivate it. A school and a primary health centre is set up for every 3 to 5
villages but distance and poor accessibility keep them away from these. Irulas
are easily entangled by any diseases. Malnutrition, anemia, and gangrene are
common. There are two Christian hospitals in different areas, which serve this
people group
This write-up is condensed and edited by Philipose Vaidyar for Focus on People
[www.focucusonpeople.org] from materials provided by Ebenezer of BIT-LIT.
For more about the Irual people contact: createtools@gmail.com
Watch my Video on the Iruala in Padappai, in the suburb of Chennai (sponsored by Agape Lifeline) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83vWwqqV4FA&t=98s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83vWwqqV4FA&t=98s
