Menstruation is a phenomenon that has always been surrounded by taboos and myths that exclude women from many aspects of socio-cultural life. In India, the topic has been a taboo till date. There are practices till date that keep women separately during their cycle and this is more prevalent among tribal communities.
Menstruation is a natural process attached innately to a woman’s body. But it has always been surrounded by taboos and myths that exclude women from many aspects of socio-cultural life. In India, the topic has been a taboo till date. There are practices till date that keep women separately during their cycle and this is more prevalent among tribal communities. “Kuli veedu” is one such practice that exist among tribal communities in kerala and the best part is the state government has constructed houses called” Kuli Veedu” to help the tribal women stay separately.
In Idukki district of Kerala, is the calm serene settlement Kulachivayal, housing 65 families of the Muthuvan tribe. In Malayalam, the word Muthuvan means those carrying something on their back. Folklore says children and belongings were carried on the backs of these tribals during their migration to the Western Ghats, and hence the name “Muthuvan.” The Muthuvan tribes are distributed in Idukki district and in the adjoining Western Ghats of the Palakkad and Thrissur districts. They speak a dialect of their own.
Sadly, archaic practices are still a reality here, where women are alienated from their settlements during a normal menstrual cycle. They are neither allowed to stay in their settlements nor participate in any activity during their menstrual cycles. They are not allowed to go anywhere near their settlements, touch anything or even stand in the way of men. The women are made to live separately in a place just outside the settlement where they cook, eat, sleep and bathe in the river.
These women have been provided with a house called "kuli veedu," built by the state government, exclusively for this purpose. Previously the house used to be a thatched house in the forest, with wild animals straying into the settlements, especially elephants, and added to that were harsh weather conditions. Women had to endure extreme cold conditions during winters and staying in such thatched huts was a nightmare.
The state government in contributing to the safety and comfort of such tribal women, has built houses for them called "kuli veedu," in almost all the tribal settlements where such practices are followed. The “kuli veedu” has attached toilets and comfortable beds. The tribal women have also been provided a separate room to cook near their "kuli veedu."
"I was born and brought up in this settlement. Right from the day we attained puberty, we are not allowed to come into the settlement nor touch anything during our menstrual cycles. We just stay in the "kuli veedu," where we cook and eat," says Parasakthi, a 29-year old, mother of two.
The shockingly striking feature in the “kuli veedu” is the wall that is strewn with plastic covers stuffed with cloth. The women do not use sanitary pads, for they have always used cloth, washed them and reused. “We know our “cloths” and don’t mix them up,” says a confident Devika, one such tribal woman.
Disturbing though such practices are for us urbans, this reality is a part of their culture. The Muthuvans are a simple tribe, most of them who do not even wear “chappals” in spite of working as either labourers in a 100-day employment scheme or as agricultural labourers. Some of them even own pieces of land in the forests.
A closer look at these settlements reveal small houses and narrow streets with an MGLP school, where children from Classes 1 to 4 are taught by the same teacher. For higher classes, the children are either sent to Munnar or nearby cities, and they stay in government hostels meant for the tribals. The tribal community does not seem to have many complaints. They have DTH connections, a primary health centre at Kandhalur, while for birthing and other medical emergencies, they travel to Sahayagiri in Kovilkadavu, 10 kms from their settlements. They are comfortable travelling in autos to and fro, and not being able to have such facilities in their own settlements does not seem to be a big issue to them.
Hence in a tribal community that braves all odds to exist, the archaic practice of alienating its women since ages past, during their monthly cycles, is a non-issue. Overall, all the state government has done is to make provision for a “kuli veedu” to safeguard its tribal women without offending the sensibilities of its tribes.
In Idukki district of Kerala, is the calm serene settlement Kulachivayal, housing 65 families of the Muthuvan tribe. In Malayalam, the word Muthuvan means those carrying something on their back. Folklore says children and belongings were carried on the backs of these tribals during their migration to the Western Ghats, and hence the name “Muthuvan.” The Muthuvan tribes are distributed in Idukki district and in the adjoining Western Ghats of the Palakkad and Thrissur districts. They speak a dialect of their own.
Sadly, archaic practices are still a reality here, where women are alienated from their settlements during a normal menstrual cycle. They are neither allowed to stay in their settlements nor participate in any activity during their menstrual cycles. They are not allowed to go anywhere near their settlements, touch anything or even stand in the way of men. The women are made to live separately in a place just outside the settlement where they cook, eat, sleep and bathe in the river.
These women have been provided with a house called "kuli veedu," built by the state government, exclusively for this purpose. Previously the house used to be a thatched house in the forest, with wild animals straying into the settlements, especially elephants, and added to that were harsh weather conditions. Women had to endure extreme cold conditions during winters and staying in such thatched huts was a nightmare.
The state government in contributing to the safety and comfort of such tribal women, has built houses for them called "kuli veedu," in almost all the tribal settlements where such practices are followed. The “kuli veedu” has attached toilets and comfortable beds. The tribal women have also been provided a separate room to cook near their "kuli veedu."
"I was born and brought up in this settlement. Right from the day we attained puberty, we are not allowed to come into the settlement nor touch anything during our menstrual cycles. We just stay in the "kuli veedu," where we cook and eat," says Parasakthi, a 29-year old, mother of two.
The shockingly striking feature in the “kuli veedu” is the wall that is strewn with plastic covers stuffed with cloth. The women do not use sanitary pads, for they have always used cloth, washed them and reused. “We know our “cloths” and don’t mix them up,” says a confident Devika, one such tribal woman.
Disturbing though such practices are for us urbans, this reality is a part of their culture. The Muthuvans are a simple tribe, most of them who do not even wear “chappals” in spite of working as either labourers in a 100-day employment scheme or as agricultural labourers. Some of them even own pieces of land in the forests.
A closer look at these settlements reveal small houses and narrow streets with an MGLP school, where children from Classes 1 to 4 are taught by the same teacher. For higher classes, the children are either sent to Munnar or nearby cities, and they stay in government hostels meant for the tribals. The tribal community does not seem to have many complaints. They have DTH connections, a primary health centre at Kandhalur, while for birthing and other medical emergencies, they travel to Sahayagiri in Kovilkadavu, 10 kms from their settlements. They are comfortable travelling in autos to and fro, and not being able to have such facilities in their own settlements does not seem to be a big issue to them.
Hence in a tribal community that braves all odds to exist, the archaic practice of alienating its women since ages past, during their monthly cycles, is a non-issue. Overall, all the state government has done is to make provision for a “kuli veedu” to safeguard its tribal women without offending the sensibilities of its tribes.