The Nilgiris’ First Nations

The Nilgiris district is the Queen of hill stations, and not without reason. She sits regally at 1800 metres – forming the bordering ranges overlooking Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. These lovely mountains are part of a larger mountain range – the Western Ghats. The name Nilgiris literally means ‘blue mountains’; ‘Nila’ meaning blue and ‘Giri’ meaning mountains. This blue colour is generally credited to the hue of the eucalyptus trees that traditionally dotted these hills, as well as to the violet Neelakurinji flower that is fabled to bloom once every 12 years. The mountain ranges in this district are home to six major indigenous tribal groups, namely the Todas, Kotas, Irulas, Kurumbas, Panniyas and Kattunaickans. They are also, according to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act 1976, the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). These tribes are forever engulfed in a continuous tug-of-war between holding on to their ancestral culture and traditions while also facing the challenges of modernisation and development. As records state, they have already lost much during colonialism - their homes were turned into cash-crop plantations where they were forced to labour as low-wage workers.

The Badagas, interestingly, who were formerly known as one of the hill tribes, are no longer so. They are, today, considered as Backward Class here in Tamil Nadu and as Other Backward Classes by the Central Government.

So, for those of us, who still may not know, or would like a quick refresher, here are the six indigenous tribal groups of the Nilgiris…

The Todas

The Todas are found only in the Nilgiris District. The name Toda is supposed to be derived from the word ‘tud’, which is their sacred tree - scientifically known as melisoma simplicifolia. The “Toda dialect is an independent language of the Dravidian family affiliated to Tamil and Malayalam” as stated by the linguist, Emeneau, in the mid 20th century. In the Toda dialect, Ootacamund was Othekalmund which later came to be known as  Udhagamandalam. The Toda village is called a ‘Mund’, which literally means a cattle-pen. It is usually a collection of three or five half-barrel-shaped huts with a small doorway (as shown in the picture above). The Todas are ethnically pastoral people and the care of buffaloes and duties connected with the dairy are their chief occupation. The Toda women are experts at embroidery with their distinctive black, red and white combinations, and their beautiful shawls have become famous all over the country. Agriculture is still fairly new to them. At present there are around 800 to 1,600 Todas living in these hills. They have a Sangamam Federation with 300 members and 120 self-help groups functioning for the benefit of the people.

The Kotas

The Kotas, also Kothar or Kov by self-designation, are again indigenous to the Nilgiris District and approximately 2,000 to 2,500 of them are distributed in seven settlements. They speak the Kota dialect - an old dialect of Kannada mixed with Tamil words. Kota villages are known as Kokkal, which represent a kind of linear structure with around 30 to 60 houses in two or three localities, called Keris. Their traditional garment is known as Varad - a white bed-spread cloth which is thrown around the body by both men and women.

The Kadk (ear-rings) are also used by both men and women. The Kotas are basically an artisan community. The men work with wood and metal and are skilled carpenters, blacksmiths, potters and musicians. The women are experts in pottery work. They worship their deities Kambattarayan and Kambatiswari who are also know by the names of Ayyanor and Ammanor.

The Irulas

Irulas are one of the major tribes of Tamil Nadu, and are distributed in ten districts, which include the Nilgiris. They speak ‘Irula’ which is a South- Dravidian language of the Tamil-Malayalam sub-group. These Irulas should not be mistaken for the Irulas who live in warmer climates and are famous as snake catchers. The Irulas here, numbering around 25,000, collect wild fruits, herbs and roots to appease their hunger. They are also known for their knowledge and skill at collecting honey, beeswax, dyes, gum, and medicinal plants and herbs. They place great value on the practice of ancestral worship and are known to be skilled healers and magicians. They believe that they cohabit their land with their ancestors, with the latter believed to reside within each seemai – the Irulas' geographic classification. Today many of them are wage labourers, working in farms and tea estates in the district.

The Kurumbas

The Kurumbas of the Nilgiri hills numbering around 2,500 to 3,000 are entirely different from other groups such as Kuruman, Kuruban or Kuruba. According to the Madras Census Report of 1891, their ancestry could be traced to the Pallavas. They have been categorised into the Alu Kurumbas, Mullu Kurumbas and Betta Kurumbas.

The Alu Kurumbas are skilled foragers, shifting cultivators and honey hunters. They are also skilled in traditional Kurumba paintings. The Mullu Kurumbas are hunters and gatherers. Betta Kurumbas are more of shepherds with Betta meaning hills and Kurumbas being the word for shepherds.

The Paniyas

In the Nilgiris district, the Paniyas are found only in the Gudalur Taluk and they number around 9,500 to 10,000. They were held as bonded labourers before Independence and now most of them work as farm labourers or undertake menial jobs on tea estates. They speak a dialect mixed with Malayalam and Tamil words. The Paniyan settlement is known as a Paddi, which consists of a few houses or huts built in rows in one corner of the agriculture farm. They seem to be the least well-off among the tribal groups in the hills and have shied away from any sort of development. There are several voluntary organisations now helping this community in areas such as health and education.

The Kattunaickans

The Kattunaickans are like the Paniyas, found only in the Gudalur Taluk. The Kattunayakan people are one of the earliest known inhabitants of the Western Ghats. They consist of approximately 450 to 500 households and each household has not more than four people in residence. They get their name from the words 'kadu' (forests) and 'nayakan' (leader/chief) connoting that they are the lords of the forest. They speak a Kurumba dialect mixed with Kannada. Their village is called a Padi which consists of five to ten huts in a hamlet. The Kattunaickans were hunter gatherers. Nowadays, besides gathering the minor forest produce, they are employed by the Forest Department as mahouts and watchmen. They were animists and worshipped trees, snakes and animals but now most of them claim to be Hindus and use popular Hindu names. They worship Lord Shiva under the name of ‘Bairavan’. Music, song and dance are important to them and form a huge part of their lives.

The Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association

The Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association (NAWA) is a secular, charitable, non-government organisation founded by late Padmashri Dr S Narasimhan, and was registered in 1958. He was awarded the Padmashri by the Government of India and the Dr BC Roy Award by the Medical Council of India in recognition of his work for the welfare of the Nilgiri tribal communities.

H Alwas, the person who spoke to Inside43, is the current Secretary of NAWA and  the Chairperson for all the tribal groups in the Nilgiris. In 2001, there was a tripartite agreement whereby the Forest Department, the Women’s Development Corporation of Tamil Nadu and NAWA began to work as one. Alwas was also the President of the Kodanad Municipality and Manager of Kodanad Tea Estate from 1980 to 1995. Being a Toda himself, he is not only well-versed with the tribal people, he is committed to their welfare and progress. 

With 62 years of experience in tribal welfare, NAWA has become a model in tribal development. The Govt of India and the Govt of Tamil Nadu have approved and grant-aided several programmes in tribal locations in the Nilgiris and adjoining districts and States. It is managed by a Committee consisting of members from various tribal communities. From a simple 

beginning in 1958, NAWA has become a peoples’ organisation today embracing the empowerment and  upliftment of the tribes they represent..

Activities of NAWA

• Medical and health care through health centres in tribal settlements and mobile medical units.
• Screening of Sickle Cell Anaemia and neonatal screening and interventions such as genetic counselling and treatment.
• Crèche and nutrition centres in 18 tribal settlements and preschool education with opportunities for learning through play.
• Education and economic development through sponsorship programmes to provide financial assistance to tribal children and youth to pursue regular education in schools, universities and in vocational training centres.
• Capacity building and empowerment of children and youth.
• Financial assistance to tribal farmers to develop wastelands with tea, coffee, spices and other sustainable agriculture.
• Empowerment of tribal women through support to self-help groups, and training men and women in entrepreneurship and capacity development.
• Promotion of sports and skills development among tribal youth.
• Documenting, preserving and promoting tribal arts and crafts.
• Rehabilitation farm colony for formerly bonded labourers.
• Promotion of herbal medicine preparation and marketing.
• Training on pottery, paintings, embroidery and other tribal crafts.
• Representing development issues of the tribal people on wider platforms and collaborating with other agencies for resource mobilisation.
• Addressing environmental issues and forest management.
• Securing forest tribal land rights under FRA 2006.
• Disaster management / keeping peace among tribal communities.
• Securing State / Central funds for tribal communities with their influence.
• Establishing tea industries for tribal tea growers
• Promoting federation for livelihood.

They are, at present, looking forward to developing the Tamil Nadu Tribal Mart where they will be procuring and selling tribal products to visitors, in order to raise funds and promote the diverse tribal cultures in their portfolio.