ABSTRACT
India is basically an agriculture country. As the oborigins of the Indian sub-continent, the Kanis, the people who are living in the mountains of Kanyakumari District, also practice agriculture for their livelihood. In this article an attempt has been taken to explore the agricultural patterns, crops grown, methods adopted and other related works. Kannikkars mainly produce tapioca, maize and malainel or Karanellu for their consumption. Generally, pepper is cultivated in an around their settlements. Since the hilly regions are famous for varities of fruits, the Kani people grow jack and mango trees. Those trees grow naturally in these regions. They use simple implements to cultivate the soil. Chemical manure do not have any role in their whole productive strategy. Only cow-dung is used as manure.
The development in economy is largely depended on the climate, availability of natural resources, development of infrastructural facilities, enterpreneural skill, attitude towards investments and the availability of skilled labour. As these facilities are not available in hilly areas, the economic development of the Kanis are very poor. They develop their economy by utilizing the available resources in the hilly areas.
The habitations of the Kanikkars are numerous in Kanyakumari District. Kanikkars are widely spread almost all the hilly tracts of Kanyakumari District. However, a heavey concentration is observed in Arukani, Pattukani and Keeriparai areas. Their primary occupation is agriculture. Most of them do not own any agricultural lands. Their regular cultivation is found along the banks of the river, streams and lakes.
Kannikkars mainly produce tapioca, maize and malainel or Karanellu for their consumption. Recently they have introduced ginger for cultivation purpose. Chemical manure do not have any role in their whole productive strategy. Only cow-dung is used as manure. As tapioca is their common food, they cultivate it generally in the low land. When tapioca is fully grown, they harvest and store it in their houses. Plantain is one of their important plants. They usually cultivate it in the month of June or July. The cultivation of paddy is comparatively less mainly due to non availability of suitable lands.
Availability of bamboo is plenty is forests. It determines the economic condition of the Kanis to a large extend. Bamboo is used for the production of various types of baskets and ladders for their domestic use and commercial purpose. Bamboo has great demand in local markets. Some of them earn money by selling bamboo to the non-tribal contractors. Some times in the month of July and August they collect newly grown bamboo shots for home. As for as Kanis are concern the bamboo is an economical commodity.
Pepper is commonly cultivated in Kani areas. It determines the economic life of the people. Generally, pepper is cultivated in an around their settlements. In almost all the trees, they planted pepper. Each home has atleast one or two pepper plants from which they get maximum yielding. Generally, the pepper produced by the Kanis are sold in the local markets. As the soil and climate of this area are much suitable for growing pepper, the Kanis paid special attention to the cultivation of this plant.
Betal nut and leaf plants are also cultivated commonly in these settlements. They are used for their domestic consumption. They are in fond of these betal leafs. Irrespective of age both the male and female are accustomed to use it. The betal nut and leaf produced in the hilly regions also have great demand in low lands. Therefore, it serves as a commercial product. Almost every year, tapioca and plantain are cultivated in and around the settlements. Christian Missionaries who did a lot of services to modernize the Kanis, introduced to them new plants like pineapple and some varieties of vegetables plants.
Recently in some Kani settlements they start to cultivate ginger, red-gram, green –grams and mustered etc. These new items are cultivated in small plots of lands. Generally, it is cultivated jointly by some Kani families. They show keen interest in these cultivation. They earn money by selling these commodities to the local businessmen. As the Kanis are illiterate they use to purchase them at low rate and sell in the market at high rates. Though they are exploited the money which they earn console them.
The hilly regions are famous for varities of fruits. The people in the settlements use them as their daily food. These fruits yielding trees are found scattered through out the mountains. As they are growing naturally, there is no systematic mode of fruit cultivation. Especially plenty of jack trees and mango trees and available in these regions. The Kani people never destroy these fruit yielding trees. These people never take any special interest for the growth of jack and mango trees. Those trees grow naturally in these regions.
The method of cultivation of Kanis are very simple and traditional. They use simple implements to cultivate the soil. They follow different phases of agriculture. The important agricultural implements are plough, ladder, spade, sickle, pestile, carrying basket, axes, knifes and so on. These traditional implements are invented by their fore-fathers. They are used for agricultural operations. These implements have not been improved in any way but have remained in their crude shape and form.
Kanikkars do both permanenet cultivation as well as crop rotation. They use customary permanent heritable and transferable lands for house sits, agricultural farms and cattle farms. Poultry farm is also seen in the Kani settlements. As a token of authority for such rights patta is given to them. It confers them the right of the land, subject to payment of land revenue and certain minor restrictions.
When we closely observe the agrarian structure of the Kanis certain non-economic factors are also closely associated with the agricultural practices. After the harvest is over the whole Kani family used to give sacrifice to their gods and goddess. All the harvest ceremonies are conducted by the chief priest, Mutukani. In the absence of Mutukani, the ceremony is organised by his subordinate priest. Generally the worship is held in a special chamber traditionally used for this purpose. One red-cock and red-hen are sacrificed by the priest on this occasion. In addition to sacrifice, a share of newly harvested crops are offered to their prime god. Then they pray for rain. The Kains believe that through sacrifices and offerings they can produce more crops next year. On this joyful ceremonial occasion they use to sing several flok songs related to different phases of agriculture. This ceremony is held through out three days. During this ceremony male members sing different songs and dance during nights to enjoy the occasion.
Forest is the base for the life of the Kanis. Their residential areas are also part of the forest on the hilly slopes. All the settlers have equal rights for collection of fire wood, banana leaves, and other house hold materials from the forest. They gathered honey from the forest and sell it in the plains.
Elephants are their common enemy. They frequently enter into their settlements and caused damages to their crops. Some times, it attacks even settlers. Thus the Kani families are affected due to elephant ravage. It is a permanent menance to them. During the time of the entry of elephants they used variteis of crackers and even pistal to drive them away.
The agrarian system of Kanikkars is changed gradually due to various factors. They behave like wanderers and move from place to place frequenly. But now they settled permanently in the particular area and look after their cultivation mainly due to certain factors. Important among them are the changes occurred because of deforestration. The reason for that is the growing influence and migration of the neighbouring communities. Further, government introduces many economic development schemes for the benefit of this community. Intended to get the benefit of these schemes, they are forced to settle permanently in a particular place. But the development of science and technology has not yet created any wide spread effect on tribal agrarian situation. Even then its produces various positive results among the Kanis. Till then, such schemes enable to broaden the economic life of the Kanis.
– Dr. Regi, S.
Assistant Professor of History, Holy Cross College, Nagercoil.
References
1. M. Gopalakrishnan, Gazetteer of India, Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari district, Madras 1995.
2. S.B. Chakrabarty, Anthropological Survey of India, Culcutta, 1984. P.4.5.
3. N.J. Smith, The Sociology of Economic life, New Delhi, 1965.
4. Stephen, Kokarai, Nagercoil, 1997.
5. L.P. Vidyarthi and B.K. Rai, The Tribal Culture of India, New Delhi 1985.
6. S.B. Roy and K. Asok Ghosh, People of India, New Delhi, 1993.