hereiam: October 2018

Thursday, 25 October 2018

Memory blurred by life behind bars, man looks for long-lost daughter

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:
For 15 years, all that kept P Samy, now 47, going was the thought that he would be able to meet his daughter when he was released from prison.

Samy, from Krishnapuram in Kadayanallur taluk, Tirunelveli district, walked free on September 21 under a government amnesty scheme, but he can find no trace of his daughter. He doesn’t even know her name as she was just 10 months old when he last saw her and they hadn’t named her then, something he deeply regrets now.

Samy was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 for killing his friend who had eloped with his wife. “All I care about is finding my daughter and making sure she is safe,” he said. “I want her to be married to a good man and lead a happy life.” Samy says he doesn’t want his daughter to pay for his and his wife’s mistakes. They got married in 2000 and had a child within a year.

On February 2, 2001, Samy recalled, his wife and friend Murugan eloped, taking the child, who was three to four months old, with them. Samy learned they were in Tenkasi and went there to confront them on February 17. Words were exchanged and in a fit of rage Samy stabbed Murugan to death and then surrendered to police. He was initially remanded in judicial custody for three months and finally sentenced to life on September 25, 2003.

All I care about is finding my daughter and making sure she is safe. I want her to be married to a good man and lead a happy life. I endured the pain and anguish of 15 years of life behind bars with the hope of being a good father to her after my release
P SAMY | Released convict

Samy says he doesn’t know what happened to his wife and child who never visited him in prison. He says a relative had told him that his wife had turned up at her parents home with their daughter and another small child a couple of years after he was jailed, but they had turned her away.

He had heard they could now be working in a brick kiln in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district.

“I want my daughter back. I endured the pain and anguish of 15 years of life behind bars with the hope of being a good father to her after my release,” said Samy.

Samy, who now lives with his mother in their village, has no money and his long years in prison have affected his health and memory. Samy cannot remember the exact date his daughter was born or when he got married. He says when he returned home from prison, he could not find his wedding photos or any photos of the baby. He recalls that Tamil daily ‘Dina Thanthi’ had carried a photo of him and his wife in a news report the day after the murder. He hopes to contact the media house to get the photo.

Samy’s is clear he wants nothing to do with his wife, whom he blames for his misfortune. He only wants to meet his daughter and ensure her safety.

NHAI to six-lane 34 km of NH 48 at Rs 649cr

Shanmugha Sundaram. J /Oct 25, 2018

Monday, 22 October 2018

Chinnayan Nayakar tank, Kharjuraho of Tamil Nadu

A lesson in erotica: Sculptures of Tiruvannamalai tank lie forgotten

shanmugha Sundaram J / Oct 22, 2018

Long before sexual expression was considered taboo and sensuality vulgar, intimate scenes were etched into temples across the country. While some were carved in between other images of mythology, others were more elaborately displayed as found in the Unesco recognized Khajuraho group of temples in Madhya Pradesh or the Konark Sun temple in Odisha.

In Tamil Nadu, a four-century old tank, Chinnayan Kulam, 40km from Tiruvannamalai town, stands as a testament to the celebration of erotica.

More than 100 bas-relief sculptures line the stone parapet walls around the tank

on the outskirts of the Chinnayan Pettai village. A reflection of the fine art of the

Vijayanagara and Nayaka period, it has survived the ravages of time. Though the tank

was declared a protected monument by the state archaeology department in 1988, the government failed to maintain it and explore its tourism potential, especially since it has a unique story.

According to the information board at the spot, “the erotic scenes engraved on the parapet wall are not found anywhere else in the state.” It was constructed in 16th or 17th century by Chinniyan Nayakar, chieftain of Chengam, who built the tank for his daughter to educate her in the art of erotica. “The daughter was believed to be uninterested in married life but after visiting the tank, primarily meant for bathing, she is said to have changed her mind and soon bore a child,” said R Segar history professor of Government Muthurangam Arts and
Science College, Vellore. He added that newly-weds and childless couples used to visit Chinnayan Kulam occasionally, but a taboo developed around erotic sculptures and the villagers began staying away. Confirming with the records at the state archaeological department, an official said the tank and the village were named after the chieftain. A similar tank in Ravanthavadi, unrecognized by the state, lies in a dilapidated state, said Segar.

Stressing on the ancient perspective on carnal exploration, retired deputy director of Archaeological Survey of India K Karuppiah said, “Our ancestors chose temples to educate adults about lovemaking. We can find many erotic sculptures amid gods and goddess at temples, particularly in Vaishnava temples, in Pudukottai and several other parts of the state. Sculptures of similar nature are found in the tank in plenty,” he said.

According to archaeologists and historians, erotic sculptures are categorized into sacred (depicting gods and goddess in dalliance), ritual (cult and tantric) and secular (kamasutra). The sculptures in Chinnayan Kulam come under the last group. The parapet walls contain nude sculptures of men and women in different intimate positions, including group activities and bestiality. Though the focus is on erotica, scenes from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, landscapes, vignettes of social life and illustrations of warriors in combat or while hunting adorn the wall.

“The sculptures provide information about the ancient civilization. There was a ‘fertility worship’ cult in 12^th century and Lajja Gauri in Dharmavaram is a fine example of the cult,” said archaeologist C Santhalingam, adding that such sites should be promoted for tourism.

When sites like Khajuraho attract tourists from across the world, these tanks in Tamil Nadu are an example of a wasted opportunity.

Differing from the archaeologists that erotic sculptures were an education tool, historian Chithra Madhavan said temples reflect the worldly life. “These types of art should be promoted for tourism. They will be appreciated by people interested in it.”

The officials had fenced the tank and erected an iron gate in 1988, but it was vandalized over the years. Officials said the tank was renovated and restrooms were constructed at the site at a cost of Rs24 lakh four years ago, but the facility was damaged again. “We have sent a proposal to renovate the tank again and requested to appoint a watchman for the tank,” said M Prakasam, curator at the archaeology office in Dharmapuri.

The district administration has also asked the state archaeology department to renovate Amma Kulam at Ravanthavadi and declare it a protected site. “The tank is smaller than the Chinnayanpettai one, but the sculptures and style of architecture is the same,” said collector K S Kandasamy.

Retired state tourism department official N Ravi said information on its historical importance, uniqueness and links to other tourism spots should be made available. “We have only talk about Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Madurai and forget that there are several lesser-known spots which show the diversity and richness of our culture,” he said.

Monday, 8 October 2018

From small game hunting to earning big bucks, Narikuravas string new life

Narikuravas’ beads ornament business adds colour to over 2,000 families in Chengam

Shanmughasundaram.j@gmail.com

A tiny settlement of ‘narikuravas’ has made a difference in the lives of at least 2,000 families in the villages in Chengam in Tiruvannamalai district. The State’s own nomadic tribe, in the last two decades, has been providing a source of income for hundreds of women by engaging them in their traditional enterprise of making ornaments out of beads.

Rajapalayam is no less than a non-descript village. Located at least 50 kilometres away from Tiruvannamalai, it is home to 150 families of ‘narikuravas’. Many of them have turned employers for women from other communities in at least 20 villages in and around Chengam.

It was during the reign of former chief minister Kamaraj that `narikuravas’ were given permanent houses in Rajapalayam in Mel Ravanthavadi panchayat. Until two decades ago, their primary source of livelihood was hunting for meat and skin. As restrictions curtailed them, they soon turned to beads, making it their fulltime enterprise in the years to come.

“It was during the 90s that we started making different kinds of ornaments using beads. We used to sell them during festivals and at pilgrim spots in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. We found a demand for our products. So, we gradually built our business. Today, it is more like a cottage industry,” R. Thangarasu, a 47-year-old narikurava.

Over the last two decade, they have spread their wings, expanding their business by leaps and bounds. Take Thangarasu for instance. Today, he is a wholesale dealer for bead ornaments. Inside his house are huge wooden shelves in which thousands of chains made of colourful beads, crystal, tusli, rudrashakas, padigam and navaratha stones.

He supplies these chains to big shops particularly in pilgrim destinations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

T Arasakumari,40, of Om Sakthi SHG was one of the role models among Narikuravas women. She inspired women in her community to turn from employee to employer. “We work not less than 10hours a day to make the ornaments. Since the demand is high, we roped in women from other villages to meet the demand and make use of the business opportunity,” she said.

Fifty-year-old S Sekar is another entrepreneur from the community. A former resident of Rajapalayam, Sekar moved to Chengam Town to expand his business.

Thangarasu and Sekar are not alone. There are more big players in Rajapalayam and surrounding areas – Kannappan and Panneer in Chengam Town.

But interestingly, this does not stop with the narikurava community. These self-made entrepreneurs are now employers for hundreds of omen in 15 villages in the radius of 10 km. Not surprisingly, the Narikuravas have been distributing bonus or gift such as saree or household items for Deepali/Pongal for a decade now.

Nearly 150 women in Melpuzhithur and Pakkiripalayam, who were eking out their living by rolling beedi until a decade ago, have switched over to ornament making. “Rolling beedis took a toll on our health. But this (beads making) help to earn better, without compromising our health,” said a Muslim woman in Pakkiripalayam.

They purchase the beads from Mathura near Delhi and Kasi once or twice a year, while the copper wire and caps are purchased from Dharmapuri and Salem districts. These raw materials are distributed among the women.

Amudha, a resident of Kattamadu, has been making ornamentss for nearly 10 years. “I work in an agricultural field. When I return home, I make ornamentss during my leisure time after finishing domestic chores. This helps me earn an additional income to support my family,” said Amudha, who calls Thangarasu as ‘Mothalali’ (owner). She earns at least Rs50 to Rs70 a day.

Like her, Vijaya, a resident of Thiruvalluvar Nagar in Chengam Town, uses her leisure time to make chains to earn money. This, she says, helps her meet her daily needs. “We make the ornaments while watching TV and chit-chat with neighbours,” she said.

Vijaya’s neighbours echoed the same and added that for agricultural labourers like them, bead making has turned into a source of revenue during drought. Young girls too have been learning to make the beads during to augment family income.

“Earlier, I used to go and supply the raw materials and collect the finished products. Now, they come to my shop and collect the raw materials and handover the chains. We collect the chains made by them once a week or a fortnight and pay them the wages,” said Sekar, a wholesale dealer. He has engaged around 500 women in the town and neighbouring villages.

Women in the state’s indigenous tribe have formed self-help groups (SHG) and have obtained loans to the tune of Rs 2crore to build business. “It all started 16years ago. When they first approached us for loan in 2002, we hesitated to entertain them and doubted their repaying capacity. But they have proved us wrong,” said secretary of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Society S Sampath.

From avaiing loan of Rs 2,000, the Narikuravas’ societies and SHGs have grown to avail loans to the tune of Rs30 lakh each. “We are the number one society in the district. The main reason behind this is the Narikuravas here,” added Sampath.

Fact file:

Women in villages such as Kattamadu, Ilaguni, Illavambadi, Singarapettai, Kurumapatti, Vellalapatti, Kalladavi, Neethadurai, Naradapattu, Kuppanatham, Bandreav, Ravanthavadi, Pakkiripalayam, Thiruvallur Nagar and a few other surrounding hamlets are roped in by narikuravas to make beads ornaments.

Big players in neighbouring districts - Sivakumar, Malaysia and Sankar in Vellimalai in Krishnagiri district, Gopi in Harur in Dharmapuri district. They have roped in hundreds of women from other communities to make beads ornaments in their surrounding areas.

They paid between Rs 4 and Rs 10 per ornaments (each has 108 beads) based on its variety.

Narikuravas buy raw materials – different kinds of beads/stones/sandalwood – from Diwanipur, Mathura and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Ruthraksa from Nepal.

Copper wire and caps from Salem and Dharmapuri districts.

Narikuravas sell the ornaments from Rs 28 to Rs 50 (each). The business is hot during December and January months.

The ornaments sold to wholesale dealers in Tiruppur, Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Palani and other pilgrim spots in TN

Mandya, Bangaluru and Mysore and surrounding pilgrims spots in Karnataka, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Chittoor in AP, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Guruvayoor, Thirussur, Palakkad, Kozhikod and several other places in Kerala.