OLD PEOPLE OF MAKUNTI
H.M.MARULASIDDAIAH
Makunti is a small, multi-caste, kin -
oriented village located in the Malnad track of Karnataka. The people are
generally following their traditional occupations according to their caste. The
population of the village was 1,630 (850 males and 780 females) and the total
number of households was 315.For the study, persons aged 55 and above were defined
as old. Accordingly, there were 154 elderly persons (81 men and 73 women) in
the village.
Makunti people use different terms to identify
the elderly or old persons: Yajamana, Hiriya, and Muduka; Yajamani, Hiriyalu
and Muduki are terms for women. The term Hiriya means the elder, the leader,
the husband and the older person. The term Yajamana means, in addition, the owner
and the employer. But Muduka means older person only. Every Muduka is not
considered asYajamana or Hiriya. For, the younger people also occupy the seats
of Yajamana or Hiriya. These are the terms of title. But the convention
requires the Makunti people to address all the older persons with the term
Hiriya. When a person becomes a grand- father of his son’s child he is known as
Ajja or Tata in relation to the newborn. For a grandmother the terms used are
Ajji or Avva. The terms are used not only to identify one’s grandfather or
grandmother but also used for addressing any old person by any one.
Normally the eldest son leaves the family
after his marriage. Owing to the departure of the eldest son the family suffers
changes, no doubt. But it is welcomed by the family as well as by others, as it
is considered to have averted the major disaster for the family, i.e., the
partition of it. The eldest son, however, would allege that his younger
brothers, their wives and children are always helped and supported by the
parents, and not his wife and children. The departure of the first son, though
it averts a major crisis, does not cease to create a series of tensions in the
family. It is, in a way, the beginning of the family break-up and it is a clear
indication of the declining authority of the elderly persons.
An interesting point is to be noted here
with regard to the partition of the family. If both the parents are alive, and
if they desire to live together, they may do so. The parents would be given a
portion of the house, a piece of land or whatever that is decided by the
village elders who sit in judgement on such occasions. But often the parents,
along with the land, house, utensils, ornaments, grains, money and such other
trival things, are also divided. It is found that if the choice is left to the
sons to choose between the two parents, they would prefer the mother to the
father and if the choice is given to the daughters- in- law they would prefer
the father-in-law to the mother- in-law. The son probably thinks that the
mother would work in the house and look after him and his children well; while
the daughter-in-law probably feels that the father-in-law would not interfere
in domestic matters, unlike the mother- in- law who would always pass critical
remarks, pointing out the “defects” of the daughter- in-law. This type of
choice has psychological implications. If the parents are given the choice,
they would prefer to stay with the youngest son if he is unmarried or has
married their grand- daughter. Otherwise, they would prefer to stay independent
of their sons.As has already been stated, the partition of the family takes
place during the advanced age of the older parents. The persons, who are
relatively young, say between the years of 55 and 64, are actively engaged in
the organization of their family. Those who are above 64 years are mostly widowed
and have lost interest in their life and they are removed from the sphere of
controlling and co- ordinating the threads of family life.
Family life in Makunti is shaped mainly by the
agrarian economy, and even those who are not agriculturists are also influenced
by that economy as they play complementary roles to those of the agriculturists.
There are rich young men of agricultural occupations who have brought new
things from the urban communities to be used in their homes. Changes, therefore,
are found in the types of vessels, kind of dishes and in the mode of eating.
Otherwise the traditional way of family life continues to influence the
members.
The kinship and the sub-caste are the wider
spheres for the activities of the older persons. In the family the elderly person,
the father or the grandfather, may be ignored. But the kinsmen do not disregard
the elderly person unless they have special reason to do so. The older person
is either a grandparent, or a relative-in-law (a near relative always), and he
or she is on the periphery of the kinship world. The person is consulted on
various domestic, marital, religious and legal matters. The older is the one
who is spared to attend to the relatives whenever the latter is in need of such
help. Sometimes the old man is seen guarding his relative’s house when the
owner is gone on urgent business.
During various rituals, the older persons
are specially invited by the relatives, and especially on the ceremonies
connected with the child, and of marriage and death. In Makunti, on the third
year of the child, a ceremony called Chettigavvana Vara is performed.
Chettigavva is the deity of children’s diseases. The deity is to be propitiated
or appeased, so that she will not trouble the child, and in addition, she is
said to prevent any evil spirit from attacking the child. It is the maternal
grandparent who is very much interested in attending such functions.
Settling marital alliance of the partners
is still in the hands of the elders; there are deviations in the village of
course. Some young men have tried at selecting their own partners against the
desires of their parents. There are also instances of divorce. Apart from attending ceremonies, the
elders are associated with solving disputes that arise between kinsmen; of
course the elders of the Lingayat caste are also the elders of the village.
That way there cannot be much distinction in their case between the two spheres
(caste or community) of activities. But the relatives prefer the elderly
persons of their group to take the major role in the solution of their
problems.
Though the older persons in Makunti are
playing still their traditional roles in their families, among kinsmen and
caste fellows and in the village as a whole, they are losing their grip on the
younger persons. Much against their desire, their sons get the property and
family divided, try to get brides of their liking, spend money on things which
the older persons consider it to be a waste, oppose their decisions and even at
times beat them. Formerly, the kinsmen and caste people, it is said, used to
consult the aged, follow their advice in a number of matters and rarely went
against their decisions. But now the elders are not consulted on certain
important matters. In the case of village administration, it is quite visible
that the younger persons have replaced the elders, and the earlier actions of
the latter with regard to the developmental activities in the village are
severely criticized by the former. The replacement of the aged by the young,
how-ever, has not led to the improvement of village conditions. Disputes
between the villagers, the kinsmen and even between the brothers are nowadays
taken to court of law instead of to the elders for solution.
The changes taking place in the community
are not welcomed by the aged. They show their distress in a number of ways.
Their declining authority has added another dimension to their age- old
problems. They feel they are not sufficiently fed and clothed by their sons and
relatives. The aged attribute all this to the play of Kali, the Lord of Kaliyuga.
Some feel it may be their bad fate or their action in their past life (Karma).
However, the neglect of the aged by the young and immoral actions committed by
the people are clear indications, according to them, of the onset of Adharma
(unrighteousness). Similarly, the failure of rains, frequent visits of famine,
low rate of agricultural yield and the rampant poverty are, they believe, due
to the neglect of virtuous ways of living by the people in modern days. And
some young people also agree with them.
According to the villagers, a virtuous
person is one who respects and obeys the elders, protects the parents, is
polite and speaks always the truth, does not deceive others, does not think in terms of breaking
away from their parents and brothers, marries the girl selected by the elders
and lives with her for life, looks upon all women (excepting of course, his
wife) as his mothers and sisters, earns his living honestly, does not flaunt
his wealth, does not look down upon the poor and the depressed, and does not
break the traditional practices set by his caste and forefathers.But these
ideals of behaviour are not always found in all the persons, even including the
aged. People quarrel for trival matters, elope with girls, divorce wives, steal
from fields, deceive the kin and the aged, beat the parents, run away from home
leaving their wives and children to starve, and speak lies. It is insisted by
the aged that the number of violators of Dharmic norms and the incidence of
sinful actions are increasing these days.
(Dr. H.M.Marulasiddaiah was professor and
Chairman,
Department of Social Work, Bangalore University
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