Jenukuruba

Jenukuruba (ISO-639-3 code: xuj)

Introduction

The Jenu Kuruba, a primitive tribe in Karnataka, had a total population: 36,076 according to the 2011 Census of India. This included number of households: 8,767 male: 17,948, female: 18,128. A significant portion, around 70%, of this population resides in the taluks of H.D. Kote, Hunsur, and Piriyapatana in the Mysore district, Gundlupet taluk of Chamrajanagar district, and Virajpet, Somavarpet, and Medikeri taluks of Kodagu district. Physically, the Jenu Kuruba are typically short in stature, with a mesocephalic head shape and a broad facial and nasal profile. They show some affinity to the Kurumba of Nilgiri and Betta Kuruba, although there are noticeable differences in their material cultures. They have been evicted from their forest due to conservation measures in the various tiger reserves of the Nilgiris, like Nagarhole and Bandipur. Those who have been relocated outside the forest, now they are live like a daily wagers and agricultural labourers, who live in extreme poverty. Many work as labourers on coffee estates in Kodagu or for the Forest Department. The Jenu Kuruba tribe’s history is rooted in their traditional lifestyle of foraging in the forest for honey, edible tubers, and fruits. ‘Jenu’ means ‘honey’ in Kannada, referring to their traditional occupation as collectors of honey in the forest. The Jenu Kuruba speaks their mother tonge Jenu nudi. The speakers of the language call it “naŋɡa jenukuruba base”. However, they use standard Kannada for communication with others. Their unique language and culture make them an interesting subject of study. The Jenukuruba language, also known as Jenu Kurumba, is a Southern Dravidian language of the Tamil–Kannada subgroup. It is spoken by the Jennu Kurumba/Kattunayakan tribe. The speakers of the Jenu Kurumba language are situated on the Nilgiri Hills cross-border area between Tamil Nadu and, Mysore and Kodagu districts of Karnataka, and Wayanad district of Kerala.