Tamil Nadu’s gypsies demand right to vote

March 25th, 2009 - 3:34 pm ICT by IANS

Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), March 25 (IANS) Over 100 tribals of Tamil Nadu’s Narikkorava (gypsy) community held a demonstration here Wednesday, demanding the right to vote, police said.

“This near illiterate gypsy tribe could not cast their votes so far due to their nomadic character, though they were issued ration cards 10 years ago. We are assuring them all help this time,” a police official said after persuading the tribals to give up their protest.

“We have a history going back thousands of years and are as much citizens of this nation as others. Yet, we have been marginalised, termed untouchables and (have) never voted. Now we want to assert our rights,” a spokesman of the group, Domba Raja, told IANS.

The state’s Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said the poll panel will look into the community’s grievances.

“We are particular that nobody should be denied the right to vote and will take immediate action if representations from this group reaches us directly or the district administration,” Gupta told IANS on phone from Chennai.

The tribe’s origins are traced to European Roma gypsies and to several others from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Orissa, according to accounts published by Edgar Thurston in 1909.

According to the police, most members of the tribe live in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala. They used to be trappers and hunters, but hunting has now been banned. One of their traditional handicarfts is the making of bead garlands.

On the gypsy trail...

Hema Vijay talks to young researcher Siva Chithirai who is researching the lives 'narikuravars' of Tamil Nadu, and is impressed by his fascination with the gypsies.

Millions of years ago, agriculture took anchor on earth. It brought with it civilisation and a settled life. Not for all of humanity, though. Gypsies have continued to escape the snare of having to settle at one place. Unlike other groups, tribal or otherwise, most gypsies have not let go of their freedom. Very little is known about them, and to this day, the fragile status quo of Indian gypsies remains a mystery.

“I have always been drawn to gypsies, right from childhood", says young Siva Chithirai, who is now researching the lives of the Narikuravars (Tamil for ‘fox hunters’) of Tamil Nadu, a counterpart to the European gypsies.

“Children of my village would invariably in awe of the gypsies who would periodically visit my village,” Siva says. Siva and his friends would follow them around and envy them for their school-free lives. The gypsies, however, didn’t really like this attention and pelted stones to drive the kids away. Most children generally outgrow this fascination for gypsies. But Siva remained enamoured of their way of life, though he moved on with his life, got an education and eventually a respectable job. This young man is studying the gypsy phenomenon and has come out with interesting bits of information and a colourful photo essay on the narikuravars. And why not, they are an interesting people.

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