Today I met a tribal king. Some local men at the class I’m attending offered to introduce my friend Tiji and I to Rama Rajamannam. King Rama is all of 27 years old and has been king for one year. His uncle was king before him and of all nephews, he was chosen by 12 leaders to succeed. Nephews (sister’s sons, specifically), not sons, are candidates and voting is only done after the death of the king, so during childhood, King Rama learned that he might someday be king but it wasn’t definitely in the bag as his cousins were also in the running. For future reference, King Rama does have a sister and she does have a son.
Once chosen, one has the ability to deny the role but once they accept, there is no turning back. When asked how he felt when he was chosen, I caught the word “santosh” in his response; happy. King Rama presides over 40+ colonies (making him an emperor, actually) comprised of 108 families from multiple tribal groups. Because the colonies are spread out, in the past, messengers were sent for communication, but today, cell phones suffice. King Rama is the only remaining tribal king in the northern half of Kerala, as other tribal groups have opted out of their monarchy systems over time. He wears a silver band that has been worn by 17 kings now.
Tribal communities have received land from the government but over time some land has been taken away from them due to corruption. The threat of losing land continues. The Mannam tribals no longer live in the forest, but in homes. Most of the community members are physical laborers at the large tea plantations in the highland area. They have a festival in February each year. Festivals are the only time they wear traditional attire. They celebrate with traditional dances and music. Traditional medicine exists but most community members seek allopathic medicine today. With the system of 12 cabinet members, King Rama says that their governance works very well and fairly. They have a criminal justice system in place and depending on the severity of the crime, it is handled at different levels. King Rama personally handles the most severe cases. If a man is charged with disrespecting an elder, he is to bend forward and hold the weight of heavy rocks on his back for a period of time. If a man is charged with abusing his wife, he will have to make a vow to discontinue and will be monitored by others. Twice weekly, workers visit each home to assess things like this as well as health and other aspects of family well-being. Sounds like social workers to me!
(I wore my finest sweatshirt for the occasion...Not prepared to meet a King!)
Another day, another adventure & learning experience.
Craziness! I never knew...
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