Every home in Keelpunachi village owns a parrot. These well trained birds simply stay on our hands and shoulders with nothing to bind their wings. Out of curiosity I asked them for names of the parrots and they said names were not a trend around there. As simple as that, no fancy names.. no embellishments.. just pure love and being considered part of the families.This is Murugamma and her family parrot.

The Malaya Pulaya community lives in tiny hamlets around Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They are mostly farmers, daily wagers, honey collectors and wood pickers. Normally their hamlets would be found near a water source. They are not given access to electricity or running water connection. The houses are made with bamboo and mud. The roof cannot be classified particularly as low or high, thatched or tiled. Each family lives in houses they can economically afford. Most of the houses are not secure enough and made with used materials bought at very low cost.

The village would have a primary educational center with a single teacher. Classes are conducted only on a certain number of days. The school building is a practically decent construction and have just the basic necessities required.

The Mala Pulayas talk in a Malayalam-Tamil mix dialect with dominance of Tamil words. It is important to preserve these languages as they are very unique in all ways. There’s a singy-songy beauty to it when the conversation is in full swing.

Tribes like these needs to be specially cared for by the government and other concerned authorities. Their traditions and culture need to be preserved in all its uniqueness. It is from them our history takes form, it is they who are the true protectors of the forests and its resources, it is they who need to live on for the good of our land.