Cholanaikkan: Socio-Economic Condition of Manjeeri Colony
Author : Haskar M
Abstract :
This study explains the Cholanaikkan community, one of the most primitive and vanishing tribes in Kerala. These tribes are only found in the Karulai and Chungathara a forest ranges of Nilambur, Malappuram district, Kerala. Historically, they lived Stone Age lifestyle. They mostly live in ‘Alai’ (rock shelters). This is an attempt to understand the Cholanaikkan primitive tribal community and the present-day problems they face, such as unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, and insecurity.
There are some sources that helped me understand this tribe. The “Cholanaikkan” or “Colekkaru” means “people of the forest”. They are a primitive hunter-gatherer tribe. Their religious life consists of animism and ancestral worship. Their main livelihoods are hunting, gathering, and craftsmanship. We can also see a division of labor among them.
Their society is structured around 13 distinct territorial zones called 'tsenmam.' Each zone is led by a leader. Their family unit is called a 'kudumba.' They celebrate birth, death, and menstruation. As a part of their death ceremony, one important ritual is 'Adiyanthiram,' held one month after death to honor the ancestors. Their main tools are 'kodali' (axe) and 'porali' (a digging tool).
This study concludes that some members have become educated. The government is also introducing some welfare schemes to improve their lives. The Cholanaikkan are slowly integrating into modern economic systems through agriculture and welfare schemes. Even now, they remain a highly vulnerable ethnic group requiring focused conservation and support.
Keywords :
Cholanaikkan, Cave-Dwellers (Alai), Animism, Tsemam, Maladaivam.
