Children of a lesser god

The Centre’s decision to include Narikuravas in the Scheduled Tribes list should be welcomed by all well-meaning citizens who believe in emancipation of the downtrodden. The Narikuravas (literally, jackal-hunters), also known as kuruvikaras (bird-hunters), are among the poorest of the poor, barely eking out a living hawking beads, bangles, sea-shells and assorted trinkets. They live on the margins of society in urban Tamil Nadu, often in squalid conditions.

Given their nomadic disposition, they own no land nor do their children go to school. Over the years, the community has silently suffered ostracism at the hands of a society that understands neither their culture nor their way of life. Groups of women clad in patchwork skirts and blouses hawking strings of beads hanging on their forearms and surrounded by barely clothed children are a common sight in Tamil Nadu. Though the State has been at the vanguard of the social justice movement, the Narikuravas never benefited because they were not seen as sons of the soil. According to anthropologists, they migrated from Maharashtra and speak a unique tongue called Vagriboli that has no written script.

Things are, however, gradually beginning to change as evidenced by a recent report in The Hindu that spoke of the first engineer — M Swetha — emerging from the community, despite considerable resistance from within. Their inclusion in the ST list, which will open up educational and job opportunities, is only the first step. More affirmative action is necessary to bring Narikuravas into the mainstream. Reforms must change not only the Narikuravas, but also the rest of society which lives in denial of the existence of marginalised communities.

Senior Associate Editor

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