The Characteristics and Lifestyle of the Bharathava People in the Novel "Alaivaik Karai"

Abstract

According to the title of lower class people's history in literary works, Mrs. Rajam Krishnan's fictional painting "Alaivaik Karayil" is a biographical reference to the people of the fishery and Bharathavar clans, the lower class built along the coast at the border of the town. Sangam literature mentions Bharathavas as a division of Neithal (sea and land around the sea) people in Tamil Nadu. Living along the coast, the livelihood of the fishermen is based on the resources of the sea. The community of fishermen is a race that has not left the lap of the ocean mother who provides them life without settling in cities in search of livelihood. Toiling in the deep sea, enduring the vagaries of nature, drifting ashore, getting caught in nets, not being paid according to labour—there is no sure income for the labourer who is toiling in the sea. The scales of sharks are called thuvi. It is more valuable than fish. There is a compulsion to pay the thuvi and other things as a compulsory tax to the temple of Matha. Without trying to eliminate ignorance, addiction to drugs and sensuality, middleman troubles, the dominance of churches, resorting to drugs to forget life's dissatisfactions and disappointments, resistance to modern mechanised boats and the mechanised boat industry, etc. are considered to be the fuel of their greed. The status of referring to the power boat as a "Visapadaku", religious conversion, the pious fishermen who say "Mary is merciful," the religious fishermen, the inability to give dowry for the virgins, and conversion to Hinduism to escape the tax-extorting domination of the religious priests are implied. The fact that the author uses the same speech dialect after studying their speech reflects her fascinating experience. It has been shown that there are separate Tamil words that are not in our colloquial language today and that there is a separate case language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Sinhala, and Malayalam languages. The essence of this review article "Alaiyoram" is to explore the precious matters like pearls buried in the novelty in various situations.