Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

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Source: Census of 1951, Annexure IV, cottage and small scale industries, 1951
The figures given here may not be accurate. For example, boats used to be made in
mukkathkadavu in Thenhippalam until recently which is not reported in the Census. It is
also interesting to note that soap manufacture and furniture making were reported as
absent and there was a high incidence of production of beedis attested to by the local
informants also. The high incidence of manufacture of pottery is attested to by the still
surviving potters’ colonies. However, manufacture of iron products of which there is
considerable evidence is not listed as a cottage industry. In all these products, personal
household employment predominates.
Secondly, the participation of women in the labor process was higher than what it is
today. Unfortunately we have no direct evidence from the census of 1951, because of the
practice of compiling statistics of sex-wise population by including the ‘dependents’ in
the figures, and hence, we have to depend on the testimony of the old people of the
region who attested to the substantial women’s participation particularly in agricultural
labor and household industry. The increased number of participation of women shows
another feature also. The labor participation was irrespective of factors of religion. The
evidence also shows that most of the people were in a stage not far above subsistence
level, except, of course, the landlords and the merchant classes. In the memory of the
people, majority of the roads seen today were still cart-tracks. Very few houses were
electrified, and those who owned cars and built concrete houses were very few. Cinema
houses and other entertainment places were generally unknown. Those who wanted
higher education had to go to Calicut or to Farook College. The area had no industry
worth the name. There were also a few oil mills and saw mills in different parts of the
region. There was the tile factory in Parakkadavu, and a few iron works were coming up