அடுக்கம் நாவலில் மலைசார் பழங்குடியினரின் வாழ்வியலும் பண்பாட்டுக் கூறுகளும்

Abstract

Daniel Selvaraj is a prominent figure in the world of Tamil fiction for having vividly chronicled the lives of marginalized communities. His novel Adukkam documents the lifestyles of hill tribes such as the Muthuvar, Pulayar, Paliyar, and Kuravar. The Muthuvar people lived in huts constructed from narcotic grasses and bamboo poles; their diet included honey and fried greens mixed with honey, and they practiced slash-and-burn agriculture. They also upheld a tradition of hospitality, serving guests on a specific type of banana leaf known as ‘Kookka’. The Pulayar people wore garments known as ‘Mundu’ and ‘Paadisu’ to cover their bodies; their spiritual practices included worshipping the Peepal tree and Lord Murugan in shrines made of grass. The novel also reveals their history of waging struggles to reclaim their rights through social renaissance movements in the late 19th century. The Paliyar people practiced self-reliance, carrying their own food and water from home rather than accepting or consuming anything from others when venturing out. The novel also highlights the sexual violence and suffering they endured at the hands of government officials and the police. The Kuravar community lived in palm-leaf huts and employed multilingual elders as guards for protection; having lost their lands to landlords, they were driven by poverty into illicit trades such as the production of illicit liquor, cannabis cultivation, and smuggling.