Study on Arunthathiyar children
Manual scavenging impact on Children :
• 24% children dropped out from school; 3/4th were boys and 1/4th were girls.
• 28 children (upto 18 years of age) from 200 Arundhatiyar families were working.
7 worked in agricultural farms; 12 worked in construction sites, factories and sales jobs.
• There was a high rate of indebtedness of all Arundhatiyar manual scavengers-ranging from below Indian rupees-10,000 to above 60,000. In the villages, large number of families had a debt of Indian rupees- 20,000; In municipalities- Indian rupees 30,000.
• Most loans were taken for the following three categories: medical, construction of homes and education.
• Irony of the situation was that none of the Arunthatiyar families covered under the study in the villages had toilets at home. Only less than half of the families had toilets in municipality or corporations.
School discrimination :
Majority of the students' parents (534) were daily wage earners working as coolie in various sectors.
262 children reported being abused and discriminated on the basis of their caste name.
607 children reported cleaning the schools bathrooms.
148 children reported doing the house hold work of their teachers.
228 children reported being sexually harassed in schools.
Almost 50% of children were denied scholarships opportunities.
532 children dropped out of schools mainly as a result of the discrimination and harassment.
Sumnagali Thittam:
• Almost 85% of the girls worked for more than 12 years.
• 1/5th of the children who were working under the Sumangali scheme were illiterate.
• Almost 48% of the girls were enrolled into the scheme through the agents residing in the area and approaching the families.
• Most of the girls (around 98%) quoted ‘poverty’ as the reason for joining the Sumangali Scheme.
• Nearly half of the girls under the Sumangali Scheme had worked or had been working with an agreed amount of Indian rupees 30,000/- after an aggregate agreement period of three years.
• The nature of work involved long hours of standing (around 12 hours) and working with bare hands operating dangerous machines. Nearly all girl children were forced to work and faced verbal and physical abuse.
Bonded children issue:
• 50% of Arunthatiyar children dropped out of schools-mostly 5th standard onwards.
• 36% of the children were separated from their family, this category of children were living with single parent or their grandparent or relatives.
• Amount of loan taken by the parents of the bonded child laborer-almost 71% of the loan size between 10 to 50 thousand Indian rupees.
• 29% of the loan size was above 50 thousand Indian rupees.
• Nearly 3/4thof child bonded laborers monthly income was one thousand and five hundred Indian rupees.
• 1/4th of child labourers earned an income of below 2 thousand Indian rupees.
• A child started working as early as 6 years of age; most children started working from ten years and above.
• Normal working hours were 11 hours-from dawn to dusk.
• Almost all 35 children reported caste discrimination at workplace by the employers-being called derogatively by their caste identity; practice of dual tumbler system; separate bed, food etc was followed for these children by their upper caste employers.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Volunteer form
“Volunteers Form”
1 Name of the Volunteer
2 Father Name
3 Age
4 Male or Female
5 Nationality
6 Address
7 Contact Number
Land Line and Mobile
8 Email
9 Qualification
10 Present your professional
10 Work experience in Developmental and Human rights
11 Any experience with children
12 Skills
Example:songs ,dance,Music,Art,Drama,Reporting,Web desining ,teaching etc..
13 Per month how many days you can contribute your time with us
• Weekly one day
• Monthly two days
• Monthly one day
• Other specify
14 What is your expectation with us
15 Date of Joining
16
Any one reference
17 What is your thinking on caste
18 What is the issue for women
19 Why some of children drop out from school ,what are the reason ….
20
Can you participate any organization or community events
21 Can you involve for fund raising
Deceleration: I am happy to join as a volunteer to READ organization .I will follow the READ organization policy.
Signature
Note:
READ could not able support any financial to volunteers. It is fully nonprofit and service based.
1 Name of the Volunteer
2 Father Name
3 Age
4 Male or Female
5 Nationality
6 Address
7 Contact Number
Land Line and Mobile
8 Email
9 Qualification
10 Present your professional
10 Work experience in Developmental and Human rights
11 Any experience with children
12 Skills
Example:songs ,dance,Music,Art,Drama,Reporting,Web desining ,teaching etc..
13 Per month how many days you can contribute your time with us
• Weekly one day
• Monthly two days
• Monthly one day
• Other specify
14 What is your expectation with us
15 Date of Joining
16
Any one reference
17 What is your thinking on caste
18 What is the issue for women
19 Why some of children drop out from school ,what are the reason ….
20
Can you participate any organization or community events
21 Can you involve for fund raising
Deceleration: I am happy to join as a volunteer to READ organization .I will follow the READ organization policy.
Signature
Note:
READ could not able support any financial to volunteers. It is fully nonprofit and service based.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Arunthathiyer Cultural Night .........
From indignity to rebellion
A cultural night to celebrate the arunthathiyar spirit, an attempt to strengthen the arunthathiyar artforms’ transformation from caste practices to weapons against caste oppression…
The parai originally called as thappu is undeniably a symbol of Dalit assertion today. But unlike pillars and parayars who have asserted themselves to some ectent remain the arunthathiyars the dalits amongst the dalits of tamilnadu
Who are Arundhatiar
Arundhatiar (also known as chakiliar) is one of the most marginalized even among the dalits and are exploited by the dominant communities in India. There are 60 lakhs Arunthathiars in Tamilnadu out of which major people live in the Districts of Western Tamil Nadu. They can be called Dalit among Dalits. They are often compelled to do very menial / low dignified jobs. In way of life they are said to be very honest and hospitable people.
Key Challenges faced by this Community
Social: This community speaks a language which is Tamil and Telugu mixed. They are separated by the language they speak since Tamil is the foremost language of Tamilnadu. The children of Arundhatiars are further separated since their parents do low dignified work. Because of the poor socio economic status of the community the children are normally not sent to school. Children of this community are deprived of basic necessities in life and even education and childhood.
Economical: When we look at the economic status of the Arunthathiars only 10% of the population has a small piece of land. Majority of the people work as bonded labourers and others work as scavengers, agricultural labourers etc. Most of these families are landless and they earn their living from main occupations such as agriculture labour work, cleaning toilets and public places, repairing the torn shoes, burning the dead bodies etc.,
Educational Status: Only 1.75 % people of this community are literates while 98.16% are illiterates. Only 0.16% of the people have at least completed their 10th grade in education. Because of the poor socio economic status of the community the children are very rarely sent to school. Children in the urban areas work as coolies at the hotels and other places like mechanic shed, garages etc., The status of the children after completion of the high school education is even more worst, there is no economical stability to continue their education after schooling.
The dalits as a whole and the arunthathiyars as a community at the lowest rung of the dalits themselves have art as an inseparable part of their lives. But the practice of their art is an indignity heaped on them as it is a caste designated function more than a cultural expression. Arunthathiyar art forms have been the symbols of their existence as low caste people for ages. Today they are the symbols of their assertion.
Not so popular there are many other fundamental contributions arunthathiyar artforms have given to mainstream music and art. But more than their artistic contribution what marks their emergence in the popular conscience is the legitimacy and right they gave to the arunthathiyar existence and voicing the unbridled anger against caste oppression and sub human treatment meted out on arunthathiyars.
Caste is a unique kind of oppression in that it systematizes an hierarchy which is perpetuated by social and cultural sanctity. In the past decade a wave of arunthathiyar art and literature have questioned the halo of culture within which caste purity and hierarchy have been preserved. [ the continuing struggle against the all Brahmin karnatic(classical south Indian music a brahminical stronghold) singing mela in Chidambaram is an example.] what has irrefutably come into being is a new art form – the arunthathiyar art – which has not only questioned mainstream art practices and theories but has redefined the very notion of artistic expression and the tone of expression.
“Dalit art(literature) is marked by revolt and negativism, since it is closely associated with the hopes for freedom of a group of people who, as untouchables, are victims of social, economic and cultural inequality.” – Arjun Dangle, poet,activist.
An Example…
Thappattam
While seeing some of the arunthathiyar men and women perform this art form now in stages of art festivals and meetings one would not even recognize the beginnings of this art. It was compulsory for the arunthathiyars to go and play the thappu in the death of any caste Hindu who dies. Infact each caste hindu family had one or more arunthathiyar families attached to it in a kind of slave-bonded labor way and it was the duty of these arunthathiyars to beat the thappu for any death in the caste-hindu’s house. Also is their duty to go to all relatives’ houses and inform of the death. For doing this which is compulsory the arunthathiyars get the left over food in the house of death which they have to sit in the back yard and eat. It is compulsory that they eat as part of the hindu ritual of feeding these people during a death. In many instances the men who play the thappu will be beaten to a frenzy asking them to beat fastly in the funeral procession. From these depths of human designed indignity the arunthathiyars today present a thappattam cultural presentation – a truly inspiring and revolutionary art form which brings to the fore the pent up anger in them over their condition.
Art is a very crucial record of transformations within and of the society. Some of the most popular art forms have come from the oppressed sections of the society. And some of the most revolutionary movements working for liberation of the oppressed people have used music as a powerful weapon of change. In southern India where attempts are being made to rewrite caste equations and to question existing notions on culture and language, understanding the arunthathiyar artforms with a clear perspective about their historical position as agents of change and an undeniable requisite of the arunthathiyar struggle for liberation is a culturally and democratically necessary action.
What do we propose to do?
In April the Arunthathiyar human rights forum proposes to hold a cultural night which is a 24 hour event. The day is for an exhibition (photos, paintings, graffiti…) which will talk about the past present and future of the arunthathiyar life and struggle.
The whole night will be of performances of the Arunthathiyars – Thappattam, Jiggattam, Kadavu mathattam, Oyilattam etc., many of these are percussion based martial dance forms.
Interspersed within these performances would be the orations by arunthathiyar and social leaders on the arunthathiyar struggle for human dignity.
As a whole the event is expected to inspire the arunthathiyars to take part in the arunthathiyar struggle for liberation and to announce to the outside world the artistic capabilities of the arunthathiyars and the political social and cultural strength of their struggle.
We will sent final invitation …………….
Contact Address
R.Karuppusamy
Convenor
A cultural night to celebrate the arunthathiyar spirit, an attempt to strengthen the arunthathiyar artforms’ transformation from caste practices to weapons against caste oppression…
The parai originally called as thappu is undeniably a symbol of Dalit assertion today. But unlike pillars and parayars who have asserted themselves to some ectent remain the arunthathiyars the dalits amongst the dalits of tamilnadu
Who are Arundhatiar
Arundhatiar (also known as chakiliar) is one of the most marginalized even among the dalits and are exploited by the dominant communities in India. There are 60 lakhs Arunthathiars in Tamilnadu out of which major people live in the Districts of Western Tamil Nadu. They can be called Dalit among Dalits. They are often compelled to do very menial / low dignified jobs. In way of life they are said to be very honest and hospitable people.
Key Challenges faced by this Community
Social: This community speaks a language which is Tamil and Telugu mixed. They are separated by the language they speak since Tamil is the foremost language of Tamilnadu. The children of Arundhatiars are further separated since their parents do low dignified work. Because of the poor socio economic status of the community the children are normally not sent to school. Children of this community are deprived of basic necessities in life and even education and childhood.
Economical: When we look at the economic status of the Arunthathiars only 10% of the population has a small piece of land. Majority of the people work as bonded labourers and others work as scavengers, agricultural labourers etc. Most of these families are landless and they earn their living from main occupations such as agriculture labour work, cleaning toilets and public places, repairing the torn shoes, burning the dead bodies etc.,
Educational Status: Only 1.75 % people of this community are literates while 98.16% are illiterates. Only 0.16% of the people have at least completed their 10th grade in education. Because of the poor socio economic status of the community the children are very rarely sent to school. Children in the urban areas work as coolies at the hotels and other places like mechanic shed, garages etc., The status of the children after completion of the high school education is even more worst, there is no economical stability to continue their education after schooling.
The dalits as a whole and the arunthathiyars as a community at the lowest rung of the dalits themselves have art as an inseparable part of their lives. But the practice of their art is an indignity heaped on them as it is a caste designated function more than a cultural expression. Arunthathiyar art forms have been the symbols of their existence as low caste people for ages. Today they are the symbols of their assertion.
Not so popular there are many other fundamental contributions arunthathiyar artforms have given to mainstream music and art. But more than their artistic contribution what marks their emergence in the popular conscience is the legitimacy and right they gave to the arunthathiyar existence and voicing the unbridled anger against caste oppression and sub human treatment meted out on arunthathiyars.
Caste is a unique kind of oppression in that it systematizes an hierarchy which is perpetuated by social and cultural sanctity. In the past decade a wave of arunthathiyar art and literature have questioned the halo of culture within which caste purity and hierarchy have been preserved. [ the continuing struggle against the all Brahmin karnatic(classical south Indian music a brahminical stronghold) singing mela in Chidambaram is an example.] what has irrefutably come into being is a new art form – the arunthathiyar art – which has not only questioned mainstream art practices and theories but has redefined the very notion of artistic expression and the tone of expression.
“Dalit art(literature) is marked by revolt and negativism, since it is closely associated with the hopes for freedom of a group of people who, as untouchables, are victims of social, economic and cultural inequality.” – Arjun Dangle, poet,activist.
An Example…
Thappattam
While seeing some of the arunthathiyar men and women perform this art form now in stages of art festivals and meetings one would not even recognize the beginnings of this art. It was compulsory for the arunthathiyars to go and play the thappu in the death of any caste Hindu who dies. Infact each caste hindu family had one or more arunthathiyar families attached to it in a kind of slave-bonded labor way and it was the duty of these arunthathiyars to beat the thappu for any death in the caste-hindu’s house. Also is their duty to go to all relatives’ houses and inform of the death. For doing this which is compulsory the arunthathiyars get the left over food in the house of death which they have to sit in the back yard and eat. It is compulsory that they eat as part of the hindu ritual of feeding these people during a death. In many instances the men who play the thappu will be beaten to a frenzy asking them to beat fastly in the funeral procession. From these depths of human designed indignity the arunthathiyars today present a thappattam cultural presentation – a truly inspiring and revolutionary art form which brings to the fore the pent up anger in them over their condition.
Art is a very crucial record of transformations within and of the society. Some of the most popular art forms have come from the oppressed sections of the society. And some of the most revolutionary movements working for liberation of the oppressed people have used music as a powerful weapon of change. In southern India where attempts are being made to rewrite caste equations and to question existing notions on culture and language, understanding the arunthathiyar artforms with a clear perspective about their historical position as agents of change and an undeniable requisite of the arunthathiyar struggle for liberation is a culturally and democratically necessary action.
What do we propose to do?
In April the Arunthathiyar human rights forum proposes to hold a cultural night which is a 24 hour event. The day is for an exhibition (photos, paintings, graffiti…) which will talk about the past present and future of the arunthathiyar life and struggle.
The whole night will be of performances of the Arunthathiyars – Thappattam, Jiggattam, Kadavu mathattam, Oyilattam etc., many of these are percussion based martial dance forms.
Interspersed within these performances would be the orations by arunthathiyar and social leaders on the arunthathiyar struggle for human dignity.
As a whole the event is expected to inspire the arunthathiyars to take part in the arunthathiyar struggle for liberation and to announce to the outside world the artistic capabilities of the arunthathiyars and the political social and cultural strength of their struggle.
We will sent final invitation …………….
Budget
1 Stage Rs.6000
2 Lights and Gen set Rs.10000
3 Advertisement –Wall painting ,Posters ,Notice and Banners :Rs.30000
4 Invitation Rs.5000
5 Special Gust Travel ,Food and Accommodation Rs.15000
6 Food , Water and Accommodation for cultural groups Rs.25000
7 Travel for Cultural groups Rs.25000
8 Exhibition Rs.15000
9 Video and Photos Rs10000
10 Local travel and Car Rs5000
11 Extra Rs. 5000
Total 151000
1 Stage Rs.6000
2 Lights and Gen set Rs.10000
3 Advertisement –Wall painting ,Posters ,Notice and Banners :Rs.30000
4 Invitation Rs.5000
5 Special Gust Travel ,Food and Accommodation Rs.15000
6 Food , Water and Accommodation for cultural groups Rs.25000
7 Travel for Cultural groups Rs.25000
8 Exhibition Rs.15000
9 Video and Photos Rs10000
10 Local travel and Car Rs5000
11 Extra Rs. 5000
Total 151000
Contact Address
R.Karuppusamy
Convenor
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