Migrant Irulas of Cauvery
The rapid growth of cities and the complexity of the social structure hampers the economic situation of the Scheduled Tribes and tribal people living in small groups. Caste and class differences keep them out of the social flow. This leaves them with permanent joblessness and economic deprivation which puts the future of today’s generation in question. People on the banks of river Cauvery depend on the river for their livelihood. During the first six months of the year, the river will be dried out. Then the Ilurar people of Tarasuram migrate to Kollidakarai in Trichy and build temporary huts on the banks of the Cauvery. More than 82 families are dependent on temporary occupations. Irula people used to be rat/snake catchers and agricultural labourers but now they are moving to other occupations due to the economic crisis but still, there is no development in their economy. For the past three generations, these people have depended on the river for their livelihood during the first six months of the year. Here there are eight families have in this temporary settlement. In the current environment, the income from this is not enough and due to this, the youths of this community migrate to places as wage labourers to live up to their family’s economic needs, and most of them end up having debts. Today’s generation is migrating just like previous generations to earn because of their current economic situation. This results in an unstable livelihood and economic situation.
" A morning at the temporary settlement of Irulas on the banks of river Cauvery ‘‘
(Most of the time families of this settlement spend their time together and have a strong social bond that keeps them connected to their roots.)
‘‘ Irula women collecting drinking water from a temporary dug-up spring well ‘‘
(Women play an important role in the social and occupational structure of these people. They keep the atmosphere of the group under control. )
Economic situation, social structure and caste-based untouchability are pressuring these three generations towards a future of incompetence.
" Durai digging up the river bed to filter the sand ‘‘
Durai and Shakuntala are the elders of this community. They have seen two generations, and their economic status has not changed much.
" A Pallava-era coin found by an Irula youth from filtering the sand at the river bed. ‘‘
In this way, to get a coin, a pit of more than four feet is dug and 40-50 pots of sand are sifted with difficulty and only one or two ancient coins can be found from that. This income will meet their daily needs. They get gold and silver jewellery from the riverbed very rarely.
Today’s generations await a stable and economically sustainable future.
