The Status of Women as Shown in ‘Kalikkaattu Idhikaasam’

Abstract

Kallikkaadu is a part of Tamil Nadu. Epic means that it has happened. Novelist Vairamuthu says that the ‘Kallikkaatu Idhikaasam’ certainly took place in the middle of the twentieth century and that it was the epic of a citizen, who is a part of the society. Migration is the process of moving from one country to another, from one state to another, from one city to another, and from one town to another. Among them is the ‘Kalikkaattu Idhikaasam’ which is said to be migrating from one town to another. Vairamuthu's ‘Kallikkaattu Idhikaasam’ has bagged Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003.  The protagonist is Peyathevar, and his wife-Alagammal, who live on land depending solely on the soil. They get their eldest daughter, Sellathai, remarried to Ochakkaalai when she returns home as a widow with a son, Mokkarasu after a year of her married life. And also, the second daughter, Minnalu, came back to her father’s home after the cruelty of dowry abuse. She is married and becomes the mother of a baby girl. At that time she comes to her father's house with her child because her husband had killed Karuthak Kannan and went to jail. Peyathevar's young age girlfriend is Murugayi. She also lost her husband, father, and mother when she got married. Peyathevar makes her also stays with him with the mindset of a mother. The government chooses this site as the best place to build a dam and ordered the evacuation of twelve villagers. The government expelled the people no matter how much the people opposed them. In this, the depressed Peyathevar suffers greatly. All the people moved away with their belongings. Peyathevar loads all his belongings in the cart and drowns in the water, not wanting to leave the soil. Furthermore, the researcher has thoroughly researched his study with ample supporting evidence about the status of women shown in ‘Kalikkaattu Idhikaasam’ and elaborated on it in detail and clearly.