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EVOLUTION FROM THERIKUDIYIRUPPU TO URAVINMURAI MANAGEMENT
Organising through URAVINMURAI concept is wisdom adopted out by Nadars migrated from Southern districts more than 200 years ago and remaining within Hindu fold which has resulted in advancement of Nadars as a soceity in various fronts of public life. Through the Uravinmurai association Nadars established turned the most dry areas of TamilNadu into oasis by establishing water storage ponds, temples, schools, trading centres, kalyanamandapams, and even facilities such as cemetry yards/burial grounds in the last 2 centuries, where even Govt. is finding it difficult establish such facilities. It appears that Uravinmurai is built through group contribution and share leadership for all the common facilities need for the community. Uravinmurais were established based on some of the possibile association such as the family structure (Ancestoral Kuladheivam concept) or type of similarity in trading or the area/village/town of settlement.
It is surprising to note that there are even several stay places/lodges in cities/towns like Chennai, Chidambaram, Thiruvarur, Thiruvannamalai, Palani established through Uravinmurais to facilitate Nadars to sustain in trading/business. Even in town like Kumbakonam where only handful of Nadar families entered trading in the early decades of last century, were sending funds for establishments set through Uravinmurai. Nadars who embraced Christianity do not have greater role in Uravinmurai associations, except few exceptional incidents like some Christian Nadars continue to participate in some activities of Dakshinmara Nadar Sanagam and officiting in its function.
Mr.Dennis Templeman in his analysis has brought out the present state of weakened state of Uravinmurai function in the decades 1970-90.
In my view also the following status /events indicate that Uravinmurai concept needs study, analysis, review and transformation to suit to changing times and help in maintaining and accelearting the progress of soceity / community as whole in the current century and even perpetually similar to strong organisational network for which I have no example to quote other than functioning Church organisations & Missionary services which are carried on for centuries.
Some of the possible threats to Uravnimurai set up in the present state:
- No new formation of Uravinmurais in the last few dacades.
- Conflicts within existing Uravinmurai not properly addressed/ resolved. (Even there was an initiative for restructuring Uravinmurai functioning in Virudhunagar a few years back by some energetic young Nadars, but does not seem to have progressed )
- Shrinking base of Voluntary contributors to Uravinmurai upgrade the establishments and start new institutions. A vast majority of Hindu Nadars contribute do not have system to contribute regularly to any uravinmurai. Disintegration of HUF business, partnership firms and other co-operative joint ventures, which have been supporting Uravinmurais through funds so far.
- No effort to turn the uravinmurai function itself into an institution which can survive perpetually. It has even the potential for turning into a corporate set up if systematically taken up involving several groups.
- Even the retrieval effor for the bank was through sentimental/emotional approach of person to person, trader to trader, home to home rather than through any organised local associations as it seems that these associations are not in a position to support any activity involving any financial aspects. Long ago, even the Nadar Mahajana Sabha, instrumentntal in establish the bank, which had initially held few shares with it, disinvested the shares to individuals citing some government restriction