History has not exactly been fair to the Kudumbis of Kerala, numbering about five lakh at the moment, says L. Subramanian, member of the Konkani literature board of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi who has introduced a forthcoming ground-breaking volume on the community written by scholar A. Vini.
No literature
“There’s hardly any literature available on the marginalised community that has over the centuries carved an identity for itself while fostering its own traditions and customs. They arrived in the State from Goa fearing execution in the hands of the Portuguese in the 16th century and settled primarily around temples in Alappuzha, Paravur, Tripunithura, Ernakulam and Kodungallur.
Impressed by skilled preparation of beaten rice, Travancore King Marthanda Varma took some 40 families to Thiruvananthapuram where they are settled at Oruvathilkotta. While there’s a whiff of modernity brought to the traditional attire of women these days, the community’s food habits, customs and dance retain their authenticity,” says Mr. Subramanian, a member of the community who has put together a lexicon of 2,000 rare Kudumbi words, proverbs with their meanings in Malayalam.
Dr Vini’s book, ‘Keralathile Kudumbikal: Charithravum Samskaravum’ [The Kudumbis of Kerala: History and Culture], focuses on the community in pursuit of self-assertion.
“They came accompanying the Gowda Saraswat Brahmins as their attendants, but earned the admiration of the Kochi Royalty by successful farming practices in tracts of marshy land. The internally-looking community still follows the old traditions brought along from Goa. Primitive rituals continue to have a place in their lives, but besides being good at making beaten rice and papad, they have inherited knowledge of certain medicinal potions,” says Dr Vini.
New generation
The book throws light on the new generation of Kudumbis that is eager to ascertain its identity. Mr. Subramanian says the aspirations of the socially and educationally-backward community have not been properly acknowledged. “While they got 1 per cent reservation in professional courses, the call for reservation in jobs has remained unfulfilled,” he says.
The book, to be brought out by National Book Stall, is slated for release before January 14 when thousands of Kudumbis gather at Kodungallur temple for the famous ‘thalapoli’.
