SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

ecome a menace. With better protection, some are able to overcome
this problem.
There are some sericulturists who discard some of the beliefs by
conviction on experimentation. This is the case with Velayudham one of
the progressive sericulturists in K K Pura.
Velayudharn has been one of those who has been believing that the women should
not involve in any kind of sericulrure work during their menstrual period. However,
he has to face with difficult times, for want of labour, at crucial phases of silkwonn
rearing. In one of the rearing, he kept a separate lot of worms to be attended by his
wife during her menstrual periods. To his surprise, there was no effect whatsoever
and the yield was as promising as the other part of rearing. From then onwards he
has given up this belief and has been able to convince others to a considerable
extent. He, however, insists that such women can be allowed to work only after a
purificatory bath. He also insists that he uses such labour only when he has no
other go. His belief now is that the women need rest on those days to maintain their
health rather than to keep them away as pollutants.
Such beliefs are not given much weightage among many of the
Palani sericulturists. Rajarnani, one of the progressive sericulturists in
Palani asks,
'When I employ a woman labour, how will I know whether she is in the state of
pollution or not.'
menstruation.
He, however, insists that a purificatory bath is taken by women in
Some people believe in fate. Such beliefs are reinforced when
they meet continuous failures in spite of their concerted efforts to
'maximise' the protection and provide a 'desirable environment'. It is
not uncommon to see people to attribute such failures to the time
('Namma neram sariyi/lai') and give up sericulture, looking for better
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