சலவான் புதினத்தில் குறவர் இன மக்களின் தொழில், சடங்குமுறை மற்றும் சமூக-பொருளாதார வாழ்வியல்: ஓர் இனவரைவியல் ஆய்வு

Occupations, Rituals, and Socio-Economic Life of the Kuravar Community in the Novel Salavan: An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

Using the novel Salavan written by author Pandiakkannan as its primary source, this article extensively examines the lifestyle of the Kuravar community, one of the marginalized societies of Tamil Nadu. The work meticulously records the history of how their traditional occupation of hunting transformed over time into pig rearing and sanitation work.

As part of the study, the types of pig breeds described in the novel Salavan, the challenges in pig farming, and the life-threatening risks involved in manual scavenging (cleaning cesspools) are analyzed from a sociological perspective. Furthermore, cultural elements such as puberty rituals, marriage ceremonies, and funeral rites are explained in comparison with the traditions of other tribal groups.

The article also discusses in detail the community's language, Vagribooli, their historical background, the impact of the British-era 'Criminal Tribes Act', and the significance of their recent inclusion (2022) in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. This study confirms how Pandiakkannan’s work serves not merely as a novel, but as 'Doco-fiction' documenting the existence of a community.