Roots
Migration has been a periodic occurrence in history. Down the ages people have migrated voluntarily, or displaced by war famine and such other disasters. A recent migration from India, especially from Tamil Nadu, was that of the workers required to work in the colonies in inclement weather conditions-in the tea estates of Srilanka, the rubber plantations of Malaysia, the sugar plantations of South Africa, Mauritius and Fuji islands. Caught in the vortex of survival, they gave no thought to record for posterity details of their migration. Centuries later their descendants look for their roots, often with very little to go by.
Migrant communities merge with the local population, adopting their language, dress and food habits, eager to become them. And yet, there is a little something different, unique which they cling to, which clings to them. A surname, a ritual, an exotic cuisine, that has been handed down the line. There was an exchange group of students from Durban, who had come for an Indian experience. They had been told their ancestors were from Tamil Nadu. We found nothing Tamilian about them. They did not speak the language.
Yet a little probing both ways led to revelation and recognition. Surnames had undergone mutation, but were still discernible. Govendar was kaunder from west Tamil Nadu. Moodley was mudaliar and naidoo was naidu. More amusing information emerged, as we got talking about what they did different from other communities. Pichasi vridh, porridge prayer,and kavaadi were prayer rituals, unique to their clans. Much reflection after, we could comprehend these as Purattasi viradham, offering of ragi kanji to amman, and kavadi procession taken out to worship lord Murugan!
There is an unprecedented extent of migration now, with youngsters exploring global opportunities, assimilating a global culture.distancing themselves from their roots, in their eagerness to get acclimatised to their new environment. If and when their descendants try to trace their roots, will they have traces of their parent culture to guide their search? I am sure the 60 plus of my generation are with me. Will you take with you and pass on to your children our music, our dance forms, our ways of worship,our rituals, our festivals, our cuisine, so that in another two centuries, your descendants won't have to search for their roots? Will you pass on your Indian identity, through precept and practice, your language, your folk art, and your literature, so your children may not look at it as 'foreign'?
I am a descendant migrant from centuries back, from where I do not know, speaking a language 200 word strong-which the main stream speakers do not recognise-looking for my roots!
Migration has been a periodic occurrence in history. Down the ages people have migrated voluntarily, or displaced by war famine and such other disasters. A recent migration from India, especially from Tamil Nadu, was that of the workers required to work in the colonies in inclement weather conditions-in the tea estates of Srilanka, the rubber plantations of Malaysia, the sugar plantations of South Africa, Mauritius and Fuji islands. Caught in the vortex of survival, they gave no thought to record for posterity details of their migration. Centuries later their descendants look for their roots, often with very little to go by.
Migrant communities merge with the local population, adopting their language, dress and food habits, eager to become them. And yet, there is a little something different, unique which they cling to, which clings to them. A surname, a ritual, an exotic cuisine, that has been handed down the line. There was an exchange group of students from Durban, who had come for an Indian experience. They had been told their ancestors were from Tamil Nadu. We found nothing Tamilian about them. They did not speak the language.
Yet a little probing both ways led to revelation and recognition. Surnames had undergone mutation, but were still discernible. Govendar was kaunder from west Tamil Nadu. Moodley was mudaliar and naidoo was naidu. More amusing information emerged, as we got talking about what they did different from other communities. Pichasi vridh, porridge prayer,and kavaadi were prayer rituals, unique to their clans. Much reflection after, we could comprehend these as Purattasi viradham, offering of ragi kanji to amman, and kavadi procession taken out to worship lord Murugan!
There is an unprecedented extent of migration now, with youngsters exploring global opportunities, assimilating a global culture.distancing themselves from their roots, in their eagerness to get acclimatised to their new environment. If and when their descendants try to trace their roots, will they have traces of their parent culture to guide their search? I am sure the 60 plus of my generation are with me. Will you take with you and pass on to your children our music, our dance forms, our ways of worship,our rituals, our festivals, our cuisine, so that in another two centuries, your descendants won't have to search for their roots? Will you pass on your Indian identity, through precept and practice, your language, your folk art, and your literature, so your children may not look at it as 'foreign'?
I am a descendant migrant from centuries back, from where I do not know, speaking a language 200 word strong-which the main stream speakers do not recognise-looking for my roots!
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