Beyond Mnemonic Security: The Paradox of Title Deeds vis-á-vis Landlessness in Select Cases of Irulas in Attappady

Abstract

The Adivasis’ deprival of the primary need of life, land, has rendered them categorically insecure in India. Acknowledging Kerala in general and Attappady in particular as one of the focal points of tension and contention, this article delineates four trajectories. First, it underscores the mnemonic security of the state in a crisis, wherein the memories and narratives of important events are mediated by the state to uphold its version. Second, it highlights the epistemic violence—the willful negation of agency and knowledge—perpetrated by the state and the participatory subjectivity—passive acceptance of the subject -position—concurrently embodied by the Irulas. Third, it looks at how memorialized security—providing security by cinching transactions through physical commemoration practices—in the form of title deeds for uncultivable land reifies or accentuates the landlessness of the Irulas. Fourth, it throws light on the central problems of the Irulas with respect to land-awarding initiatives and offers recommended solutions put forward by them to induce desired policy changes.