A Study on Funeral Rites Workers in Tamil Nadu

In the Hindu religion, the death of a person is followed by many rituals which have to be carefully attended to in order to pay the deceased person the last respects. Unlike many other cultures, which will either bury or burn the dead, the Hindu tradition believes in cremating the dead. This goes back to the belief that the human body is made up of the five elements earth, water, fire, air and space and shall return to those five elements after death. This happens much faster when cremated than when buried and is thus the better way to dispose of the dead body with respect and dignity to the deceased person. The Last Rites: When a person dies, the family and relatives prepare the dead body before taking it to the crematorium. For this they first wash the body and gather firewood to burn it. To prepare the wood, they take some sand and cow dung from nearby, mix it with water and paste it onto the wood. Often the family members will also put rice in the mouth of the dead person, symbolically showing the unity of the family; for the family members have taken care of that person and provided him with food while he was alive and will do so even after he is dead. They also use some dried leaves to put them with some more firewood on the body. According to the Hindu customs and tradition, the youngest son cremates the father and the eldest son does the same for the mother. The main work of the cremator is to attend to the dead bodies until they have fully burnt to ashes, with only the bones remaining whole. After the body is fully burnt, the cremators send a message to the family members and the sons will sacrifice their hair in order to pay their respects to the deceased person. Again, the younger son will let his hair be cut if the father died and the elder son if the mother died. To pay the barber for cutting the hair, each family member throws some money in a white cloth, which is then given to the barber. Three days after the cremation the family members sprinkle milk on the ashes and the remaining bones. This symbolizes finishing the circle of life and death. The human being has started his life with drinking milk and shall end it with milk too. Dark Uses: An interesting fact about the cremation was the use of the distilled blood which remains after the body is fully burnt. The thick, dark liquid is often collected by people for purposes of black magic use. This concentrated blood is then mixed with the blood of a cat, monkey, snake, dog and donkey and put on a cloth, which is then burned to obtain black ink with strong magical powers. People usually use the blood in order to obtain the love of the person they want to marry. For this purpose the black magicians will write the name of the person they want to marry with this black ink on a piece of paper and burn it in a copper plate. To make sure this will affect the right person, the person using black magic writes down the names of all the family members too. This is believed to succeed under all circumstances. The last Vettiyans: A musical tradition and a degraded low caste profession: As the feudal, caste-based organization of labor in village India has given way to capitalist market forces and wage labor relations, traditional low caste professions are beginning to disappear. One of these professions is the inherited, highly stigmatized office of funeral drummer and graveyard attendant, called Vettiyans. In Tranquebar, only one person from the Paraiyar caste is still serving as vettiyan, and even he dreams about a better future for his son. This article examines the gradual disappearance of the Vettiyans profession in Tranquebar and the neighboring villages in relation to the general changes in the economic, social, and symbolic status of the low castes. It looks into the ambiguous symbolic meanings of drums and drumming, and compares the Vettiyans profession to that of other drummers and musicians from the Paraiyar caste. The article focuses on the subtle cultural encounters between people, who belong to the same caste and share almost similar cultural backgrounds, but still define each other as ‘others’. It argues that the few remaining Vettiyans are used by their Paraiyar caste fellows as symbolic repositories of the negative, degrading connotations of untouchability and impurity that are still associated with their existence and which they vehemently strive to escape. The last remaining Vettiyans in Tranquebar also dreams of a better future for his son free from the regular abuses at the funeral ceremonies of mainly the fishermen community and from the social isolation at home in the Paraiyar street. He is therefore determined to be the very last Vettiyans in Tranquebar, despite the fact that his teenage son is a very talented tappu player, who often goes along with his father to play at local funerals. If the Vettiyans son manages to find an alternative source of livelihood, the Vettiyans profession will completely disappear in Tranquebar and with that a distinct musical tradition, which for centuries has been closely associated with the cultural and artistic traditions of the Paraiyar caste. Do you know that there are significant differences in the funeral customs among lower and upper caste families? I am talking about funerals in Tamil Nadu villages where the old customs are still practiced (not in metropolitan areas). In the so-called upper caste families, the dead body is taken to the final resting place without much fanfare. There is usually a small or large gathering of friends and family but the funeral procession is a sober, quiet affair. On the contrary, among the so-called lower castes (or untouchables or dalits), the funeral procession is accompanied by musical instruments and much noise. Do you know the reasons for this difference? I heard the following explanation years ago from Kumari Mainthan, a rather lesser known writer-speaker but with some good and original ideas. In the bad old days, lower caste families were not allowed to celebrate their wedding functions with music and gaiety. Only the upper castes were allowed that privilege. It bothered the lower castes and they longed for some gaiety in their functions too. So they decided to conduct their funerals with music and noise. This is the root for the diversity in funeral customs between the lower and upper castes. IMPORTANCE OF VETTIYANS: Importance of Vettiyans can be clearly explained through the following case. CHENNAI: It is not an easy end, both for the dead and their relatives who arrive at the graveyard located at Ambedkar Nagar in Tambaram as there is no employee or Vettiyans to do the final rites there for many years. The graveyard, located in the 20th ward at Tambaram, is more than five decades old and is under the control of the Tambaram municipality catering to the needs of both Hindus and Christians. Absence of a Vettiyans had raised many problems among the residents as the relatives have to make the pyre or bury the body themselves that sometimes leads to improper cremation or burial. Residents claim that the bodies were cremated in odd hours especially between 4pm and 1 am, as there is no one to maintain the yard or question the people. The five-acre site is used for cremation by over 10,000 families of Ambedkar Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Avvai Nagar, MGR Nagar, Indra Nagar and Rajaji Nagar. According to the residents, at least two to three bodies were cremated a week there. There has been no Vettiyans or a watchman to maintain the graveyard for more than 20 years. We should bury the bodies ourselves and cannot obtain a burial certificate. The worst is, at times, stray dogs drag parts of bodies even as it is in the pyre,† said 40-year-old Prakash, a resident. â€Å"Sometimes, we won’t even know if the person being cremated had a natural death or committed suicide,â₠¬  the resident quickly added. Many local youth offer to cremate the bodies and take Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 but they don’t stay there till it burns completely, complain people. Repeated requests to the municipality to come up with halls to perform final rites and meditation have not been yielded any result. â€Å"We have invited applications for both watchman and Vettiyans job, but none approached us. But another ground with all facilities for funeral rites is under construction at West Tambaram. That will solve the issue once it’s ready,† said Lion E Mani, President, and Tambaram Municipality. HISTORY: In the Indian subcontinent, human bodies were either exposed to the elements of nature, and to the birds, or buried in the earth, in a river, and sometimes a cave or an urn. Centuries later, cremation became the usual mode of disposal of the dead bodies, with certain exceptions – the exceptions being bodies of infants, yogis, sadhus, and a few others. Cremation became popular due to the Hindu concept of detachment of soul from the body at the time of death, and the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Stages: Hindu funeral rites may generally be divided into four stages: * The rituals and rites to be performed when the person is believed to be on the death bed. Rites which accompany the disposal of the dead body. * Rites which enable the soul of the dead to transit successfully from the stage of a ghost (preta) to the realm of the ancestors, the Pitrs. * Rites performed in honor of the Pitrs. Process Preparation of the body Immediately after the death, family members close the mouth and eyes of the deceased, and put the arms straight. The body is placed on the floor with the feet pointing towards the south which is the direction of the dead. An il lamp is lit and placed near the body which is kept burning continuously for the first three days following death. In Hinduism, the dead body is considered to be symbol of great impurity hence minimal physical contact is maintained, perhaps to avoid the spread of infections or germs. Most often the body is bathed by purified water, and then dressed in new clothes. If the dead is male or a widow then generally white clothes are used, whereas if the dead is a married woman with her husband still alive or a young unmarried girl, then the body is dressed either in red or yellow. Sacred ash (bhasma) is applied on the forehead of the deceased if they are worshippers of Lord Shiva (Saivites), otherwise sandalwood paste is applied to the forehead, if the dead was a worshipper for Lord Vishnu (Vaishnava). Further, a few drops of the holy Ganges water may be put into the mouth of the deceased so that the soul may attain liberation, also a few leaves of the holy basil (tulsi) are placed on the right side of the dead body. The body then may be adorned with jewels, and placed lying on a stretcher, with the feet still pointing towards the south or kept in a sitting position. The stretcher is adorned with different flowers including roses, jasmine, and marigolds, and the body is almost completely covered with the flowers. Thereafter, the close relatives of the deceased person carry the stretcher on their shoulders to the cremation ground. If it is located at a distance, traditionally the stretcher is placed on a cart pulled by animals such as bullocks. Nowadays vehicles are also used. Cremation: The cremation ground is called Shmashana (in Sanskrit), and traditionally it is located near a river, if not on the river bank itself. A pyre is prepared, on which the corpse is laid with its feet facing southwards; this is so the dead person can walk in the direction of the dead. The jewels, if any, are removed. Thereafter, the chief mourner (generally the eldest son for those who have children, husband for the childless married or brother for the unmarried) walks around the pyre three times keeping the body to his left. While walking he sprinkles water and sometimes ghee onto the pyre from a vessel. He then lights a small fire inside deceaseds mouth, this is known as mukh-aagni. The pyre is then set alight with a flaming torch. The eginning of the cremation heralds the start of the traditional mourning period, which usually ends on the morning of the 13th day after death. When the fire has consumed the body, which may take several hours, the mourners return home. During this mourning period the families of the dead are bound by many rules and regulations of ritual impurity. Immediately after the cremation the enti re family is expected to have a bath. One or two days after the funeral, the chief mourner returns to the cremation ground to collect the mortal remains and put them in an urn. These remains are then immersed in a river. Those who can afford it may go to special sacred places like Varanasi, Haridwar, Allahabad, Sri Rangam, Brahmaputra on the occasion of Ashokastami and Kanya Kumari to perform this rite of immersion of mortal remains. The preta-karma is an important aspect of Hindu funeral rites, and its objective is to facilitate the migration of the soul of the dead person from the status of a preta (ghost or spirit) to the abode of the ancestors (Pitrs)[citation needed]. It is believed that if this stage of the funerary rites are not performed or are performed incorrectly, the spirit of the dead person will become a ghost (bhuta)[citation needed]. The rites generally last for ten or eleven days, at the end of which the preta is believed to join the abode of the ancestors. Thereafter, they are worshipped during the sraddha ceremonies. Manual burning: The following is a general practice in India. The body is handed over to the Government officials at the crematorium. The officials will give consent to burn the body once you produce a doctors certificate of death. The person in charge of the actual burning covers the body with wooden logs and then with dried dung cakes. The face is closed at the last minute. The karta is given burning pieces of coal and he places the coal very tenderly on the chest of the departed. Then the face is covered with cloth. The funeral party returns home after this. The person in charge takes care of the further burning. He ensures that the body is fully burnt. Electric burning: The body is kept on a bamboo frame on rails near the door of the electric chamber. The door is opened, the frame is moved, the body is put into position and the frame is pulled back. Then the operator turns the switch on. The target temperature is around 500 degrees Celsius. The chamber coils are kept on right from the morning, body or no body. It takes around an hour for the body to burn. The black smoke can be seen from the very tall chimney above the chamber. (Here also, the karta puts the burning pieces of coal on the chest of the body before the body is pushed into the chamber). The ashes are given to the karta. Again there are some mantras and work on the ground. Once over, the karta goes to a water body, such as a beach, and immerses the ashes in the water (sanjayanam). For electrical burning the body should not be bathed. Hindu Rites amp; Rituals: After the death of a family member, the relatives become involved in ceremonies for preparation of the body and a procession to the burning or burial ground. For most Hindus, cremation is the ideal method for dealing with the dead, although many groups practice burial instead; infants are buried rather than cremated. At the funeral site, in the presence of the male mourners, the closest relative of the deceased (usually the eldest son) takes charge of the final rite and, if it is cremation, lights the funeral pyre. After a cremation, ashes and fragments of bone are collected and eventually immersed in a holy river. After a funeral, everyone undergoes a purifying bath. The immediate family remains in a state of intense pollution for a set number of days (sometimes ten, eleven, or thirteen). At the end of that period, close family members meet for a ceremonial meal and often give gifts to the poor or to charities. A particular feature of the Hindu ritual is the preparation of rice balls (pinda) offered to the spirit of the dead person during memorial services. In part these ceremonies are seen as contributing to the merit of the deceased, but they also pacify the soul so that it will not linger in this world as a ghost but will pass through the realm of Yama, the god of death. CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION amp; RESEARCH METHODOLOGY GENERAL INTRODUCTION: A funeral is a ceremony of sanctifying or remembering the life of deceased person. It comprises of many complex belief and various types of practices followed by peoples of various community. This event of sanctifying or remembering is on the hands of FUNERAL RITES WORKER (VETTIYANS). It is a service motive work which involves lots of ethical values and customs on religious aspect. This work is very dangerous and hazardous work but there is no proper recognization given to them neither from society nor from government here the importance and need of this study arises. In the Hindu religion, the death of a person is followed by many rituals which have to be carefully attended to in order to pay the deceased person the last respects. Unlike many other cultures, which will either bury or burn the dead, the Hindu tradition believes in cremating the dead. This goes back to the belief that the human body is made up of the five elements earth, water, fire, air and space and shall return to those five elements after death. This happens much faster when cremated than when buried and is thus the better way to dispose of the dead body with respect and dignity to the deceased person. When a person dies, the family and relatives prepare the dead body before taking it to the crematorium. For this they first wash the body and gather firewood to burn it. To prepare the wood, they take some sand and cow dung from nearby, mix it with water and paste it onto the wood. Often the family members will also put rice in the mouth of the dead person, symbolically showing the unity of the family; for the family members have taken care of that person and provided him with food while he was alive and will do so even after he is dead. They also use some dried leaves to put them with some more firewood on the body. According to the Hindu customs and tradition, the youngest son cremates the father and the eldest son does the same for the mother. The main work of the cremator is to attend to the dead bodies until they have fully burnt to ashes, with only the bones remaining whole. After he body is fully burnt, the cremators send a message to the family members and the sons will sacrifice their hair in order to pay their respects to the deceased person. Again, the younger son will let his hair be cut if the father died and the elder son if the mother died. To pay the barber for cutting the hair, each family member throws some money in a white cloth, which is the n given to the barber. Three days after the cremation the family members sprinkle milk on the ashes and the remaining bones. This symbolizes finishing the circle of life and death. The human being has started his life with drinking milk and shall end it with milk too. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: There is a strong stigma on the Funeral Rites Worker through the ages. Most of the time they were all alone in the cremation ground and detached from the society. Though it is a dangerous and hazardous work government not provided any schemes and policies to the Funeral Rites Worker especially in rural setup. NEED OF STUDY: As per the Indian constitution Article 14 All human beings are equal in the eyes of law but these community people were highly exploited by the other people in various aspects like social, economical, political, psychological etc†¦.. Hence the need of this study arises. Definition: A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, respecting, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor. Customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures. The word funeral comes from the Latin funus, which had a variety of meanings, including the corpse and the funerary rites themselves. Funerary art is art produced in connection with burials, including many kinds of tombs, and objects specially made for burial with a corpse. GENERAL OBJECTIVE: * To study the status of Funeral Rites Worker (Vettiyans) SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: * To study the living condition of F. R. W (Vettiyans) * To study the livelihood conditions of the respondents * To study about the social capital of the respondents * To study the grievances in relation to the respondents * To study the government initiatives towards the respondents * To study the F. R. W in human right perspective * To study the nature of service of the respondents To study the impact of caste on F. R. W * To study the problems and issues related to respondents in various aspects like health, psychological, economical, life threat. * To study the policy and legislation frame work for F. R. W (Material culture) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: 1. FIELD OF STUDY. This study was conducted in Tiruvalangadu block, Thiruvallur district, Tamilnadu. This consists of 48 villages. 2. PILOT STUDY. The researcher done his pilot study on 18th July 2012 to know about the research area and to collect information from the local funeral rites workers of Tiruvalangadu block at Thiruvallur district. This pilot study was very much useful to know about the (FRW) i. e. in regional language VETTIYANS. This visit helped the researcher to frame the interview schedule to collect data. 3. RESEARCH DESIGN. The researcher adopted descriptive design which is used to describe more clearly about the research topic because the researcher felt that this design will help the researcher to fulfill the objectives of the research. 4. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. The samples were segregated under area sampling. The researcher selected each respondent from each village; hence it is called as area sampling. 5. TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION. Collection of data is the basis for any statistical analysis and the data collected must be accurate. Researcher adopted interview schedule to collect data. 6. SOURCES OF DATA. A. PRIMARY DATA These are the actual information’s which are received by the researcher directly from the field of research. These data’s are collected by the researcher for a specific purpose B. SECONDARY DATA Secondary data’s are available generally from the published and unpublished materials. The researcher collected data from the available books, journals, magazines, newspapers and in relevant websites. . PRE-TESTING. The pre-testing was conducted by the researcher on 6th January 2013, with 3 respondents from three villages. 8. ACTUAL DATA COLLECTION. The actual data collection starts from February 9th to 24th in Thiruvallur district, Tiruvalangadu block. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: 1. It was very difficult to collect the information from the FRW because most of the time they were using alcohol. 2. Availability of the respondents. 3. Finding the right man is too much difficult. CHAPTER – 3 ANALYSIS amp; INTREPRETATION EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE RESPONDNTS TABLE 1 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE RESPONDNTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | ILLITERATE| 41| 77. 4| | PRIMARY EDUCATION| 8| 15. 1| | HIGHER SECONDARY| 1| 1. 9| | Total| 50| 100| | | | | | | | The above table and figure shows the educational qualification of the respondents. Almost majority of the respondents who involved in the funeral work are illiterate, i. e. 77. 4 % of the respondents were not studied at all. 15% of the respondents stopped their education in the primary level itself. Out of 50 respondents only 1 respondent studied higher secondary level. TABLE 2 MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | MARRIED| 49| 98| | WIDOW| 1| 2| | Total| 50| 100| | | | | | | | MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS This table shows the marital status of the respondents. From the above table and diagram we come to know that 98 % of the respondents were married and 2 % of the respondent is widow. TABLE 3 COMMUNITY OF THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | SC| 40| 75. 5| | ST| 10| 24. 5| | Total| 50| 100| | | | | | | | COMMUNITY OF THE RESPONDENTS This table and chart shows that 75% of the overall respondents were coming under the category of schedule caste. Remaining 25% of the respondents are schedule tribes. This chart and table helps the researcher to prove the hypothesis that the funeral rites work is seemed to be a caste based job. TABLE 4 OCCUPATION OF THE RESPONDENT| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | FARMER| 10| 18. 9| | COOLIE| 28| 52. 8| | LABOURERS| 12| 22. 6| | Total| 50| 100| | | | | | | | OCCUPATION OF THE RESPONDENT This chart helps us to find that 53% of funeral rites workers are working as a coolie. 3% of the respondents are working as a laborer and 19% of the respondents are farmers. Apart from the funeral work they are working no run their day to day life. TABLE 5 TYPE OF RESPONDENTS FAMILY| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | NUCLEAR| 48| 96. 2| | JOINT| 2| 3. 8| | Total| 50| 100| | | | | | | | TYPE OF RESPONDENTS FAMILY This table and chart shows that out of 5o respondents 48 respondents ar e living as a nuclear family. Only 2 respondents are living in joint family. TABLE 6 ANNUAL INCOME OF THE RESPONDENT| | NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | BELOW 24000| 50| 100| | | | | | | | ANNUAL INCOME OF THE RESPONDENT This table and figure clearly tells us that all the 50 respondents i. e. 100% of the respondents are earning below 24000 per annum which is very low in the present economic situation. TABLE 7 RELIGION OF THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLE| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | HINDHU| 50| 100| | | | | | | | RELIGION OF THE RESPONDENTS This table and diagram shows the religion of the respondents. After data collection we come to know that all the respondents who are engaged in this cremation work are coming under Hindu religion. TABLE 8 MOTHER TOUNGE OF THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| | TAMIL| 48| 90. 6| | TELUGU| 2| 3. 8| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| MOTHER TOUNGE OF THE RESPONDENTS This table and diagram represents that the local language or the mother tongue of the respondents. The output is 48 respondents are speaking Tamil and 2 respondents speaking Telugu. TABLE 9 BOUNDNESS OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE RESPONDENTS| | NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 37| 69. 8| | NO| 13| 24. 5| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| BOUNDNESS OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE RESPONDENTS This diagram and chart represents the boundness of the family members with the respondents. After data collection we come to know that 37 respondents replied that they are having good relationship with the members of the family but rest of the respondents i. e. 13 respondents said that they are not recognized or there is no proper good relationship between the respondents and other family members. TABLE 10 NEIBHOURS RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| GOOD| 19| 35. 8| | BAD| 31| 58. 5| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. | NEIBHOURS RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPONDENTS This table implies the overall relationship of the respondents with their neighbors. The researcher come to know that 40% of the respondents only having a good relationship with their neighbors, but 60% of the respondents felt that they are not ok i. e. the relationship between them and neighbors. The same was represents in the diagram. TABLE 11 ENJOYING COM MON CELEBRATION WITH VILLAGE PEOPLES| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 7| 13. 2| | NO| 43| 81. 1| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| ENJOYING COMMON CELEBRATION WITH VILLAGE PEOPLES This table and diagram shows the respondents common celebration with the other members. It seems that only 7 respondents said that they are enjoying the common celebration in the village as like others, but 93 respondents said that they are not invited and they are not enjoying the common celebrations in the village. TABLE 12EARNINGS IN FUNERAL WORK| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| 2000 PER DEATH| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| EARNINGS IN FUNERAL WORK This table represents the income of the respondent per death for the cremation work. All the respondents said that they get Rs 2000 per death. TABLE 13 SATISFACTION OF THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 37| 69. 8| | NO| 13| 24. 5| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| SATISFACTION OF THE RESPONDENTS This table and diagram shows the satisfactory level of the respondents who are engaged in the funeral work. 37 respondents said that they are satisfied with the present occupation and 13 respondents are not satisfied in this work. TABLE 14 RESPONDENTS ENGAGED IN ASSOCIATION| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 11| 20. 8| | NO| 39| 73. 6| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| RESPONDENTS ENGAGED IN ASSOCIATION This table and diagram shows that respondents membership in association. 11 respondents are engaged in the associations. 39 respondents are not engaged in any kind of association. TABLE 15BENEFITS RECIVED FROM THE ASSOCIATION| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| FEES FOR CHILDREN| 3| 5. 7| | INSURANCE SCHEME| 5| 9. 4| | ACCIDENT CHARGES| 3| 5. 7| | NO| 39| 73. 6| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| BENEFITS RECIVED FROM THE ASSOCIATION This table represents the benefits received by the respondents from the associations. Only 11 respondents received benefits. Out of 11 respondents 3 respondents received fees for their children education from the society. 5 respondents received insurance from the association. 3 respondents received accident compensatation charges from the association. TABLE 16 AVAILING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| NO| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| AVAILING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT This table represents the availability or support of government to the respondents. All the respondents said i. e. 100% of the respondents said that they are not getting any support from the government. TABLE 17 COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| WELLS| 20| 37. 7| | LAKES| 19| 35. 8| | PONDS| 11| 20. 8| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES This table represents the usage of common property resource of the village by the respondents. All the respondents replied that they are using the common properties of the village like wells, lakes, ponds etc TABLE 18PROBLEMS FACED BY THE RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| VOMITING| 13| 24. 5| | FIRE ACCIDENTS| 23| 43. 4| | RESPIRATORY PROBLEM| 10| 18. 9| | COUGH| 3| 5. 7| | OTHERS| 1| 1. 9| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| PROBLEMS FACED BY THE RESPONDENTS This table shows the risk faced by the respondents in funeral work. All the respondents said that they faced some kind of risks. 13 respondents said that they will get vomiting sensatation while engaged in the funeral work. 23 respondents faced fire accidents. 10 respondents having respiratory problem. 3 respondents having cough. TABLE 19 RESPONDENTS UNDERGONE TREATMENT| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| RESPONDENTS UNDERGONE TREATMENT This table represents the respondent’s undergone treatment for the health problems while engaged in the cremation work. All the respondents i. e. 100 % of the respondents undergone treatment. TABLE 20 PLACE OF TREATMENT| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| PHC| 24| 45. 3| | G. H| 26| 49. 1| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| PLACE OF TREATMENT This table shows the place of treatment where the respondents undergone the treatment. 45% of the respondent’s undergone treatment in the public health centers. 55% of the respondents undergone the treatment in the government hospital. TABLE 21 AWARNES ABOUT INFERIOR JOB| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 28| 52. 8| | NO| 22| 41. 5| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| AWARNES ABOUT INFERIOR JOB This table represents the awareness level of the respondents. 53% of the respondents said that they know that this cremation work is the inferior job. 7% of the respondents said that they don’t know that this is the inferior job. TABLE 22 AWARNESS LEVEL ABOUT BASIC WORK OF HUMAN BEINGS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 17| 32. 1| | NO| 33| 62. 3| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| AWARNESS LEVEL ABOUT BASIC WORK OF HUMAN BEINGS This table represents the awareness level of the respond ents. 32% of the respondents said that they know that this cremation work is the basic work for human beings. 68% of the respondents said that they don’t know that this is the basic work for human beings. TABLE 23 AWARNESS LEVEL FRW IS WEPON TO SAFEGUARD THE BELIFS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 20| 37. 7| | NO| 30| 56. 6| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| AWARNESS LEVEL FRW IS WEPON TO SAFEGUARD THE BELIFS This table represents the awareness level of the respondents. 38% of the respondents said that they know that this cremation work is a weapon to safeguards the beliefs of the traditions of the family. 52% of the respondents said that they don’t know that this is a weapon to safeguards the beliefs of the traditions of the family. TABLE 24 NEW GENERATION RESPECTING FRW| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 26| 49. 1| | NO| 24| 45. 3| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| NEW GENERATION RESPECTING FRW This table represents the relationship between the respondents and the new young generation peoples. 49% of the respondents said that there is a good relationship between them and new young generation. They said that they are also respecting them. 51% of the respondents said that there is a no good relationship between them and new young generation. They said that they are also not respecting them. TABLE 25 DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS RESPONDENTS| VARIABLES| NO. OF. RESPONDENTS| Percent| Valid| YES| 29| 54. 7| | NO| 21| 39. 6| | Total| 50| 94. 3| Missing| System| 3| 5. 7| Total| 53| 100. 0| DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS RESPONDENTS This table and diagram represents the level of discrimination faced by the respondents by other members. 55% of the respondents said that they faced discrimination in the society. 45% of the respondents said that they didn’t face any discrimination in the society. Chapter – 4 Main findings MAIN FINDINGS: 1. It was found that 78% of the cremation workers are illiterate. 2. Almost 95% of the funeral rites workers are married. 3. It seems that 100% of the respondents who are engaged in the cremation work are coming under the schedule caste and schedule tribes caste. 4. All the cremation workers are engaged in the additional occupation to meet their day to day life expenses. 5. Majority of the funeral rite worker are engaged as a coolie to earn additional income. 6. All most majority of the funeral rites worker i. e. 97 % of the cremation worker living as a nuclear family. 7. Majority of the funeral workers are earning below 24000 per annum. . Most of the cremation workers are following the Hindu religion. 9. After proper and systematic analysis we come to know that Almost 30% of the respondents’ families are not supporting them or we can say that there is no proper boundness between them. 10. Almost 59% of the respondents are not supported by the neighbors. 11. Funeral rites workers are not allowed to engage in the common celebration of the village. 12. 74% of the cremation workers are not engaged in any kind of association. 13. Government is not considering these people as human beings. Government is also not providing any kind of support to them. 4. All the cremation workers are highly affected by the health problems. 15. Funeral rites workers are not getting any safety measures due to this they are spending their major portion of income for medical expenses. 16. Based on the analysis this cremation work is caste based occupations. 17. There is no proper reorganization to these peoples since this job is the basic work for human beings and it safeguards the customs and belief. 18. Casteism plays a vital role in this job. 19. Finally we can say that they are the poorest of the poorer Chapter – 5 Suggestions and conclusion SUGGESTIONS: 1. Government should look after these people, who are engaged in the inferior job. It is the responsibility of the government to take care of each and every individual in the society, but the whole cremation workers community is suffering a lot. 2. Government should impose some laws to safeguard the funeral rites workers. 3. Special allowances, schemes, policies should be implemented to protect the funeral rites workers. 4. Government should properly supply the required materials which are required for the cremation work. 5. All the cremation grounds should come under the surveillance of the local supervisor or local authority. . Government should provide proper medical facilities and free health checkups to the cremation workers because it is highly hazardous job. 7. Severe punishments should be given to the general public who are discriminating the funeral rites worker. 8. Government should introduce some income generation program to the cremation workers to meet their daily expenses because it is a low income job. 9. Being this job is safeguarding the customs and beliefs of the traditional and cultural families, but the payment which is given to the cremation worker is very low. So government should increase and standardized the charges to support the cremation workers. 10. More number of associations must be formed. Funeral rites workers should take necessary steps to appeal any kind of support from the government or government supported agencies. 11. Ngo’s should come up to work for the welfare of the funeral rites workers. 12. Fixed salaries and uniforms should be provided to the funeral rites workers. APPENDIX A STUDY ON STATUS OF FUNERAL RITES WORKERS IN THIRUVALLUR DISTICT TIRUVALANGADU BLOCKS TAMILNADU- 631210 INTERVIEW SCHEDULE DEMOGRAPIC DETAILS: 1. NAME: . AGE: 3. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION: A) ILLITRATE B) PRIMARY C) HIGHER SECONDARY D) UG/ PG E) OTHERS 4. MARITIAL STATUS: A) MARRIED B) SINGLE C) WIDOW D) OTHERS 5. COMMUNITY: A) SC/ST B) BC C) OC D) FC E) OTHERS 6. OCCUPATION: A) FARMER B) COOLIE C) LABOURERS D) BUSINESS E) OTHERS 7. TYPE OF FAMILY: A) NUCLEAR B) JOINT C) EXTENDED D) OTHERS 8. FAMILY DETAILS: S. NO| NAME amp;RELATIONSHIP WIT H HOF| AGE| QUALIFICATION| OCCUPATION| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9. ANNUAL INCOME: SOCIAL CONDITIONS: 10. WHAT RELIGION YOU FOLLOW A) HINDHU B) MUSLIM C) CHRISTIAN D) BUDHIST E) OTHERS 11. WHAT IS YOUR MOTHER TOUNGUE: 12. IS YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE CLOSE TO YOU A) YES B) NO 13. IF NO WHY? 14. HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR NEIBHOURS B) GOOD B) BAD C) SATISFIED D) NOT SATISFIED 15. HAVE YOU ENJOY JOINING THE COMMON CELEBRATION IN THE AREA WITH ALL THE PEOPLE A) YES B) NO 16. IF NO WHY? SOCIAL CAPITAL: 17. HOW MUCH YOU EARN IN FUNERAL WORK A) 1000 B) 2000 C) MORE THAN 2000 18. HOW MUCH ARE YOU EARNING IN OTHER ADDITIONAL OCCUPATION: 19. DO YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATION C) YES B) NO 20. IF NO, WHY? SOCIAL SUPPORT: 1. ARE YOU ENGAGED WITH ANY ASSOCIATION A) YES B) NO 22. IF YES WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION 23. WHEN IT STARTED 24. BENEFITS YOU RECIVING FROM THE ASSOCIATION 1) 2) 3) 4) 25. HOW MANY MEMBERS IN THE ASSOCIATION 26. ARE YOU GETTING ANY SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES D) YES B) NO 27. IF YES, WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT COMMON PROPERTY RESOURSES: 28. ARE YOU AVAILING OR USING THE COMMON RESOURCES IN THE VILLAGE E) WELLS B) LAKES C) PONDS D) BORE WELL E) OTHERS 9. IF NO, WHY? RISK amp; NATURE: 30. WHAT TYPE OF RISK YOU FACED IN FUNERAL WORK F) VOMITING G) RESPIRATORY PROBLEM H) COUGH I) OTHERS J) FIRE ACCIDENTS 31. HAVE YOU UNDERGONE ANY TREATMENT? 32. IF YES, WHERE? K) PHC L) G. H M) LOCAL MEDICAL PRACTIONERS N) OTHERS 33. IF NO, WHY? 34. WHAT IS THE PROCESS IN YOUR WORK OR NATURE OF WORK 35. WHAT IS YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL FEEL WHEN YOU ARE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK. HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE: 36. DO YOU THINK, THAT THIS IS A INFERIOR WORK? O) YES B) NO 37. IF YES? GIVE 2 REASONS 1. 2. 38. DO YOU KNOW THAT FRW IS A BASIC WORK FOR HUMAN BEINGS P) YES Q) NO 39. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE WEAPON TO SAFEGUARD THE CUSTOMS AND BELIEF OF THE TRADITIONS? 40. DOES THIS GENERATION OF PEOPLE RESPECT YOU? R) YES S) NO 41. IF NO? WHAT IS THE REASON 42. DO YOU FACE ANY DISCRIMINATION IN THE VILLAGE T) YES U) NO 43. IF YES? WHAT KIND OF DISCRIMINATION 44. DO YOU BELIVE THAT THIS IS A CASTE BASED OCCUPATION? V) YES W) NO