Mukkuvar

Mukkuvar also Mukkuva are a social group or caste primarily a fishing community, living in the coastal districts of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu in India and also in Sri Lanka. It is a community that has differing ethnic identities based on the state or country of domicile. Although they may be an insignificant community in India, their social and numerical position makes them an important community in Sri Lanka. They are also found in Lakshadweep islands off India but are called as Melacherries.

Origins

Historically some believe that they are originally from East coast of Tamil Nadu who then migrated to Kerala, Sri Lanka and Lakshdweep. Also some may have re-migrated from Sri Lanka back to India and settled in the south western coastal side of Kerala. But in general indigenous fishers and inhabitants of the general area that they are found today^[1].

Position in Sri Lanka

Western Sri Lanka

Main article: Negombo Tamils

Historically they are an important community in the affairs of Sri Lanka. Mukkuva Chiefs controlled large areas of lands in the western and eastern coast of Sri Lanka. This came about due to their military raiding parties during the medieval period that was recorded in local historical records such as the Kokila Sandesya as the Mukkara Hatana or the fight of the Mukkaru^[2].

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Consequently in western Sri Lanka, Mukkuva domination was brought to an end by the Sinhalese Kings with the help of Karaiyar or Karave mercenaries from India who generally settled in places vacated by Mukkuvas. Although some Mukkuvas are still found in the Western region. (see Udappu)

Eastern Sri Lanka

Main article: History of Eastern Tamils

They call Eastern Sri Lanka as the land of singing fish. They also believe that they were settled here by a Tamil king called Pandia or during the period of a king Pandia. The Mukkuvar community is a major and main component of Eastern Tamils. They follow Mukkuva laws which is believed to be issued by king Pandia. Each and every script's end mentions this is the order of king Pandia.

The history of Maddakalappu Tamilakam a local lore says about the Mukkuvar that when they came from Tamilnadu a fishing caste called Thimilar were already living here. The Mukkuvar with the help of Muslims fought with Thimilar and expelled them from this land. After that some people came from Kerala and Jaffna a city in the north of Sri Lanka.

MAKIDY KOOTHU (koothu meens dance and drama which is native to this land) mentions about migration from Kerala. Other castes or communities living in this land include Karaiyar, Vellalar and Thanakarar. The main occupation of Karaiyars is fishing. But Mukkuver's occupations are cultivation of paddy, cattle especially cow and Chenai. Chenai means cutting the frost and cultivating grains and pulse.

Religion

Most of the members of this community in India are Roman Catholics due to the missionary activities of St. Francis Xavier and other Jesuits [3]. Many of them have also converted to Evangelical Christianity in the recent years. Significant minority in India are Hindus.

In eastern Sri Lanka majority of them are Hindus and there were no Brahmin priests in their temples before 30–40 years ago but now some temples have Brahmin priests. Even though most of the Temple or Kovils rituals or Chadangu are led by one Pusehar or Pusaris in Tamil language. In western Sri Lanka majority of them are Roman Catholics and some have even become Sinhalese Buddhists through assimilation into the Karave caste.

Current condition

Many of the Mukkuvars do a variety of jobs, including engineering, education, clerical, etc, though major part of the community does fishing or fishing related works. However there are many entrepreneurs and educationists among them. In India, there is a misinformation that a social seggregation based on fishers and boat owners exists in this community, with the boat owner’s today claiming to be a separate caste called Arayan or Aravan. However this seggregation is not of much significance because poor fishers buying boats and becoming boat owners is very common. Similarly many boat owners of the past become poor fishers after losing the boats due to misfortunes. This should be considered as a normal happening in any dynamic working community. It should be noted that both boat owners and poor fishers identify themselves as belonging to the same caste/community and inter-marriage is not prohibitted. Amongst Malayalee Mukkuvas, the word Mukkuva was considered derogatory previously. However due to the increasing affluence of this community in the recent years, this is no longer a hindrance to their social interaction and mixing with other communities. As an example, the reluctance which existed among the Malayalee Syrian Christans in the previous centuries to recognize the Mukkuva Christians as their equals no longer exists now. In Sri Lanka, amongst Sinhalese and Tamil Mukkuvas, it is not generally considered to be derogatory.

2004 Tsunami

The 2004 Tsunami affected Mukkuvas of eastern Sri Lanka and Southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala very adversely. They were discriminated in rehabilitation projects in both the countries as reported by NGOs.

See also

• Caste in Sri Lanka
• Marakkar
• Mukkuva kerala

References

• ^ The Mukkuva law: or, The rules of succession among the Mukkuvars of Ceylon. / By C. Brito, Imprint Colombo, H. D. Gabriel, 1876

• ^ Sri Lankan Tamil society and heritage by Prof Sivathamby [4]

• ^ Tamils of Sri Lanka: historical roots of Tamil identity By S. K. Sitrampalam [5]

• ^ The ancient myths of the aborigines Kerala Calling, July 2004 by Dr. M.V Vishnu Namboodiri [6]

External links

• Mukkuvas in India
• The effect of 2004 Tsunami
• Retention of Tamil in Kerala by Mukkuvas
• Mukkuva raids into Sri Lanka
• Women in fishing communities