[Reader-list] Rajesh Komath's Second Posting to Sarai.

[Rajesh Komath]

Dear Friends,

This is my Second Posting to CSDS/Sarai.

"Straddling Two Worlds—That of God and lower caste"

By Rajesh Komath

As I have been born into a community of Teyyam performers, traditionally
belonging to North Malabar, this ritual art form has become, since
childhood onwards, my life itself and sad predicaments. The childhood in
fact is teeming with myriad remembrances of myself accompanying father and
mother going from house to house singing and playing the thudi and coming
back driving off evil spirits from their hosts. Though the ritual practice
of gurusi, the rite of making different colors out of water and as part of
rite of sacrificing a cock, was a very ritual colorful event, our real
life remained colorless and drab, the realization of which has made me
withdrawing myself away from the pomp and show of customs and shibboleth
but, as though the custom of dancing in a wild frenzy in Kaves (Shrines)
as the deity (Teyyam) was a continuation of a ritual imposed and dictated
by the higher caste of a feudal hierarchy.  I was forced to perform it
every year as it was for the welfare and well being of a village and
villagers inclusive of the janmi Taravadu and I was vested with the
temporary privilege of blessing them all, in a state bordering on a
trance.

The first Kolam I had performed was that of Chamundi, now as Vishnu
Murthi. It was the poignant story of Kannan, a Tiyya (Intermediate lower
caste) boy who was grazing the cattle of a Kurup, the poor boy when
trembling with starvation and hunger climbed up a mango tree, belonged to
the Kurup’s (an upper caste) family began eating the mangoes. As the boy
found the niece of the Kurup passing that way, in panic of being found in
the act of stealing, a mango got dropped off from his hands and fell on
her. This was an act of defying the caste/custom and Kannan had to run
away from his native village to escape the sharp edge of victimization.
But, after many years, anticipating that the village must have forgotten
everything in course of time Kannan returned. And as he was taking bath in
a pond in neck-deep water, with fire flaming up his eyes, the Kurup and
his accompanying Nairs, rushed into the scene. Shouting “Have you returned
you
.dog from exile for violating the practices” and soon they severed his
head from the trunk with the long sword (Urumi). It was this Kannan, the
scapegoat foolish caste taboos that got reincarnated through me as
Chamundi. It was my debut as Teyyam performer, belonging to the community
of Teyyam artists traditionally. It had to discharge a social obligation
and to undergo an artistic identification by becoming a victim of cruel
moral and social injustice, elated to the status of a local god.

As the temp of the Chanda (the percussion instrument with high suggestive
power and it is an Asura Vadyem) was rising to a crescendo, I danced as if
possessed and even girls, my own classmates came with tears with eye
bowing and kneeling before me for blessing, my mind was entertaining a
fear that they might detect my caste identity. As I returned to the class,
they had already known that it was I who enacted the God. They began to
keep me at bay and maintained a distance from me. I found them whispering
mutually among themselves that “He is a Malayan”.

In my birthplace, the entire society is divided into many castes in the
order of Namboothiri, Nambiar, Kurup, Nair, Vaniyan, Maniyani, Tiyyas,
Chaliar, Asari, Kollan, Malayan, Vannan, Munhoottan, Pulayar, Mavilar,
Kurichiar, Chingathan, Kopallar etc,
Among these people the sense of caste had got solidified through several
myths and division of labour, deference and discrimination. It has become
deep rooted in the mind of each and every member of the society,
consciously or unconsciously. It is the castes of mind that permeates.
When the Teyyam is enacted in the Kavus (shrine), and in the precincts of
the Taravadu, there were separate places earmarked for each caste
according to the hierarchy. In this particular caste distinction, which is
based on caste superiority and inferiority, each caste has its own special
functions to be observed in connection with the Teyyam performance.

	Let me narrate an incident when I had to perform a Teyyam at Koorara at
Mandamullathil Kavu in Tellichery, Kannur. After the main rituals, it is
the custom of the enactor of the Teyyam to call each caste title
according to its place and order in the hierarchy and the members of the
Taravadu are addressed as Kazhakakkars, and the Nambiars are addressed
Kaikkomars and Tiyyas as Ettillam Karimanamars. The performer has to
desirable the good qualities of each caste. In the course of doing so, I
had forgotten to address Ettillam Karimanamars (Tiyyas), for which
omission the Tiyyas drenched me calling all kinds of names. They also did
not forget in warning me never to repeat the omission again. Later I came
to know that there was also a local committee member of the CPI (M) in
this group. It is quite clear that today all politics and political
parties stand for perpetuating the caste hierarchy and the power of each
caste gets, in tact. Or it is clear that whatever be your political
ideology, what works within us is caste based dispositions, which is
embedded in your mind and body, which comes out in every spot and places.

	The Communists agreed that the Teyyam is only an art form and it is a
means of livelihood of Malayans and Vannans (Practitioners of Teyyam). It
is also a ritual deceptive enough to keep the lower castes under the
control of the higher castes, which the followers of Sree Narayanaguru
were of opinion that either the Kavu, or temple are not the slaughter
houses, and either toddy or arrack are not required by the Gods, but as
they were spreading these arguments they were not prepared to keep
themselves away from this caste based ritual art and the conducting of it
annually. They were keen on getting the social capital coming from their
supervisory role of conducting the Teyyam to increase their locus standi;
as well as keeping rewards coming from owing the folkloric knowledge
obtained from Teyyam communities for the advancement of their
socio-cultural and economic capital. With this motto at the back of their
minds these power groups had to accept the significance of the Teyyam
both directly and indirectly.

	The Teyyam performance at the Koorara Kunnummal Raktachamundeswari shrine
has been suspended for a few years. Later as part of the process of
revival of shrines, it started to conduct festival. Continuously my
father directed me to enact the Kolam of Kuttichattan and thereby restart
the ritual. This Kavu was formerly the Taravadu (ancestral) property of
the Nambiars (upper caste) but it is the B.J.P supporters and activists
who wanted reestablish the Teyyam. But, entire locality was under the
stronghold of the Communists, controversies and debated took place and
after a few rounds of conflicts of trials and strength the governance of
this shrine came on the Communists. Anticipating that the political angst
of these parties involved might turn up against me who was to perform, I
asked my father why I should, I become the cause for their quarrel and “
Will those people beat up Kutichattan”? Then father coolly pleaded, “This
technique performance is something we have had to do ourselves which is
part of our tradition. After all, we get some rice, coconut, chilly and
the chicken dedicated to the gods”. It is our privilege to receive at
least such small things, which could alleviate our poverty temporarily.
So I had to done the role Kittichattan and dance in a frenzy. Thereafter,
my father had to go the court as a continuation of the debate between my
father and the Kavu Committee led by the members of the Communists party.
The court decree was in favour of the Communists and they got the right
to govern the Kavu, through the Kavu Committee.
Once the Kolathiri Raja used to honour the Teyyam artiste who dances the
solo Kolams with silk cloths and bangles and give honourary titles. This
time it is the Kavu committee under the Communists who gave my father
bangles for having helped them get the right to govern the Kavu from the
Nambiars. Father took it as the blessings of Chammundi Teyyam and remained
fully satisfied.

Last Karkitakam month, father asked my help to perform the Vedanpattau, a
ritual that has to go from house to house and remove the curse (Cheshta)
from the people. Karkitaka month is the time when there is starvation and
hunger everywhere, owing to scarcity of basic necessities. It is well
known for general penury and distress. As part of this ritual we will get
some rice, salt, coconut, some vegetables such as (Vellari). To bring all
this things to our house was the duty assigned to me.  After debating much
on this, I agreed, as there was no go about. Since I was a progressive
minded educated youth I was afraid whether the Communists will find me out
and so I had to hide myself behind the Vedan enacted in my father.

As the Vedan was returning after performing from a house, a lady belonging
to the Tiyya caste was hewed shouting at the Vedan, stopping him on the
way. When I listened keenly I discovered why she raises her complaint.
“Why did you go to Kallus’s house before coming to my own? I am not keen
on your visiting my house, come whenever you like, I don’t bother”, she
shouted, and went away to her house. I, who was a research scholar at the
Center for Development Studies, stood behind my father holding the bag
containing, rice, chilly and salt with a sense of helplessness and in a
state awkwardness.

Though when the caste-society as a whole comes before the Teyyam and
prostrates before him as the performer dances in a violent frenzy, seeking
the deity’s blessings as soon as the performer removes costumes and wipes
of the facial make up etc., he very easily transform himself to his
isolated Dalit state of being, who commands not an atom of consideration.
This is the condition of all the performing Teyyam artists in our society.
So when the low caste Malayan when he encounters either a Nambiar or a
Kurup, has to take up the towel on his left shoulder and hold it down, low
his head and stand at a particular distance with due respect to the Kurup.
This is one picture. On the other hand there is another in which the
Nambiars and Kurups are approaching the Malayan in his Teyyam costumes and
make up and they touch his feet in great respect. A local Muslim
gentleman, who has witnessed both this contradictory contexts, so
dramatically, broke out with a familiar folkloric saying still in common
prevalence that the life of Teyyam artist is one that has witnessed two
worlds that a man and as the God himself.

[It gives me pleasure to thank P.K.Michael Tharakan, J.Devika, Rakhee
Timothy, Dilip Menon, Baskara Prasad and Arun]

warmly yours,

Rajesh Kumar.K.
Doctoral Scholar
Centre For Development Studies
Prasanth Nagar, Ulloor
Trivandrum- 695011
Kerala, India
Ph : +91-471-2442481
Fax: +91-471-2447137
Mobile: 9895056659.