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IRULA TRIBES

16th September, 2024

IRULA TRIBES

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Context:

Irula tribe supplies 80% of India’s anti-snake venom but struggles to find a cure for poverty.

About the tribe

Particulars

Description

Ethnic group

Dravidian ethnic group.

Inhabitant
  • Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
  • Those in Karnataka are named as Iruligas.

Language

The Irula language, a Dravidian language that is closely related to Tamil.

Legal status

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

Culture/Belief

The Irula people practice some sort of Animism where they primarily believe in a Goddess named Inga who lives with her 6 sisters worshipped in the form of stones under trees.

Occupation

  • The main occupation of the Irulas has been snake and rat catching, and honey collection.
  • They also work as labourers (coolies) in the fields of the landlords during the sowing and harvesting seasons or in the rice mills.

Contribution to global healthcare system
  • Six companies in India produce approximately 1.5 million vials of anti venom annually.
  • Most of it is derived from venom extracted by the indigenous tribe, the Irulas.
  • They are snake catchers for the Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Co-operative Society.
  • The community plays a crucial role in public health by supplying nearly 80% of the venom used for antidotes in India.

Challenges they face

Poverty, Caste Discrimination.

Must read articles

Irula Tribe: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/irula-tribe

PVTGs: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups-pvtgs-6#:~:text=The%20Particularly%20Vulnerable%20Tribal%20Groups%20(PVTGs)%20are%20a%20group%20of,states%20and%20one%20Union%20Territory.&text=A%20declining%20or%20stagnant%20population.

Cooperatives: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/cooperatives-in-india#:~:text=The%20first%20credit%20cooperative%20society,drawbacks%20of%20the%20earlier%20law.

Source

https://madrascourier.com/environment/irula-people-an-essential-but-invisible-component-of-the-global-healthcare-system/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irula_people

 

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following states:

  1. Maharashtra
  2. Madhya Pradesh
  3. Tamil Nadu
  4. Karnataka

Irula tribes are found in how many of the above state/s?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. Only three

D. All four

Answer: B

Explanation:

Irula, also known as Iruliga, are a Dravidian ethnic group inhabiting the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

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