Excommunication row claims a life in Marayur

KOTTAYAM: The age-old practice of 'ooruvilakku' (excommunication) in some villages of Marayur, Idukki claimed a life on Wednesday, with the head of a village 'nattukoottam' (panchayat) succumbing to injuries he suffered in an altercation with a person excommunicated from the village 28 years ago.
Keezhanthoor village head Gopalakrishnan had suffered head injuries in the fight with one Hariraman on Friday.A few policemen are deployed in the village after villagers destroyed Hariraman's house post the incident.
Kanthalloor grama panchayat president S Madhavan, who also hails from Keezhanthoor, said Gopalakrishnan succumbed to injuries at Coimbatore medical college hospital. He said Hariraman was excommunicated from the village after he refused to pay a fine slapped on him by the 'nattukoottam' for allegedly setting fire to a sugar cane farm.
Hariraman had refused to pay the fine, claiming that he had not committed the crime. Following his excommunication, he was not allowed to take part in any function of the community, religious festivals or seek alliance for his children from the community.
Madhavan said the recent issues cropped up after the 'nattukoottam' did not allow Hariraman to transport some eucalyptus trees, axed from his compound, though the village roads. "He, in turn, stalled the panchayat move to sell trees in the village by complaining to the revenue department, leading to the fight."
Around 1,000 Anchunad Vellalar families inhabit these five villages - Keezhanthoor, Kanthalloor, Karayoor, Marayur and Kottakudi -- in the region and they face 'ooruvilakku' if they do anything against the village rules. There were instances of excommunication for even marrying from other communities or refusing to contribute to fund collection by the village.
"Whoever maintains contact with an excommunicated person also face excommunication," said Dhanushkodi, a relative of Hariraman. Dhanushkodi was also excommunicated in 2008 after Hariraman visited his house when his father died. Dhanushkodi, among the educated few in the community, had completed BA economics at Chittoor government college and he is a social worker with the eco development committee now. "After being excommunicated, my wife is not allowed to visit her house in the village. Her parents have also told her to avoid visiting them... Hariraman had to find a match for his daughter from Tamil Nadu," he said.
Dhanushkodi, however, said there were signs of a change. "Youngsters have started getting educated and that needs to be encouraged. Nobody reacts now, fearing excommunication."
Farming, masonry, watchmen jobs and manual labour are the major occupations of the community members. "The civic bodies also have an important role to end the age-old custom, which affects people's lives," he said.
He had, in 2009, moved the high court, seeking protection of those excommunicated, and secured a favourable order. "The 'nattukoottam' even directs shops, cable operators and auto drivers, asking them to avoid those excommunicated."