Peringeel is a small village of Ezhome Panchayat in Kannur district of Kerala. The name Peringeel came from the expression Perumkeezhil which means extreme lowest. My father was born and brought up in this village. The people of Peringeel were treated as extreme lowest people in caste scenario of social culture in Kerala.
Peringeel, the shelter of farmers belong to the Pulaya community, is a place surrounded with full of rivers and paddy fields . Larger share of areas are marshy places namely kaippad and the other portion paddy fields. Peringeel is one of the few villages in Kannur and Kerala having cultivation of rice in Kaippad besides the paddy field. It is one of the few villages having excellent variety of rice cultivation in Kerala using the conventional farming methods without the influence of green revolution that spoiled the Indian agriculture.
Now, a total of 10 families are occupied here. Years ago the place was crowded with some 25 families . But no government schemes reached here, many of the families here got converted to Christianity and shifted to the nearby hillsides at Kottila and Pilathara in search of better job and life. Years back, in this locality there were only tatched huts made of mud bricks and grass and now also the situation is not different.
Before the Indian independence, the people here were the slaves of landlords. They had to work according to the tenants of law in day and night. The King of Kolathunadu-Valapattanam was the Supreme owner of whole of the land. He distributed the land under him to various Namboodiri, higher caste Hindu people. They again distributed to the sub tenants, like Mappilas, Muslim lords Thiyyas and Nairs, higher caste Hindus. The Sub tenants would arrange cultivation in the land under them choosing the slave people from the locality. Very minute quantity of payments was made towards wages. In fact a feudal system was prevailing at that time.
But in monsoon the entire area will be covered with water and flood. Everywhere the footpaths are muddy. People cannot ever move without country boat. In rainy season people vacates their houses and reach their safe places for rescue. In spite of flood and water, drinking water has to be brought from the nearby villages crossing rivers and bunds and walking kilometers. Because of marshy and filthy area and surrounded by rivers bearing salt water, drinking water is not available in the wells here. They have to rely upon pipe water, which are not properly supplied all the time.
Underworld memories of Untouchables, the documentary is a 'payback' to this village from where I learned compassion for other beings. Underworld memories of Untouchables is the memories of three generations of people in the village of Peringeel. They speak about the grievances, attorcities, discriminations thrashed by caste system in their life and society. The documentary politically analyses the present condition of caste system in Kerala, which is otherwise known as God’s own country. The documentary clearly states that it is power; education and money are the three important things that can uphold a suppressed society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnDeTjrxOy8
Peringeel, the shelter of farmers belong to the Pulaya community, is a place surrounded with full of rivers and paddy fields . Larger share of areas are marshy places namely kaippad and the other portion paddy fields. Peringeel is one of the few villages in Kannur and Kerala having cultivation of rice in Kaippad besides the paddy field. It is one of the few villages having excellent variety of rice cultivation in Kerala using the conventional farming methods without the influence of green revolution that spoiled the Indian agriculture.
Now, a total of 10 families are occupied here. Years ago the place was crowded with some 25 families . But no government schemes reached here, many of the families here got converted to Christianity and shifted to the nearby hillsides at Kottila and Pilathara in search of better job and life. Years back, in this locality there were only tatched huts made of mud bricks and grass and now also the situation is not different.
Before the Indian independence, the people here were the slaves of landlords. They had to work according to the tenants of law in day and night. The King of Kolathunadu-Valapattanam was the Supreme owner of whole of the land. He distributed the land under him to various Namboodiri, higher caste Hindu people. They again distributed to the sub tenants, like Mappilas, Muslim lords Thiyyas and Nairs, higher caste Hindus. The Sub tenants would arrange cultivation in the land under them choosing the slave people from the locality. Very minute quantity of payments was made towards wages. In fact a feudal system was prevailing at that time.
But in monsoon the entire area will be covered with water and flood. Everywhere the footpaths are muddy. People cannot ever move without country boat. In rainy season people vacates their houses and reach their safe places for rescue. In spite of flood and water, drinking water has to be brought from the nearby villages crossing rivers and bunds and walking kilometers. Because of marshy and filthy area and surrounded by rivers bearing salt water, drinking water is not available in the wells here. They have to rely upon pipe water, which are not properly supplied all the time.
Underworld memories of Untouchables, the documentary is a 'payback' to this village from where I learned compassion for other beings. Underworld memories of Untouchables is the memories of three generations of people in the village of Peringeel. They speak about the grievances, attorcities, discriminations thrashed by caste system in their life and society. The documentary politically analyses the present condition of caste system in Kerala, which is otherwise known as God’s own country. The documentary clearly states that it is power; education and money are the three important things that can uphold a suppressed society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnDeTjrxOy8
