The Zenith: The Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol. 1. Issue 1. INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS OF KERALA- A REVIEW Dr. Sreenivas V. K. Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, Sri Vyasa N.S.S. College, Wadakkanchery. Dr. Akhila H. Department of Botany, Sri Vyasa N.S.S. College, Wadakkanchery. [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Any biological species (animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms) which are introduced and established outside their natural range that negatively impact the native biodiversity, ecosystem function, health and human welfare are called invasive alien species (IAS). According to a survey conducted by Kerala Forest Research Institute revealed that 87 species are invasive alien plants. In them 25 are high risk species, 23 pausing medium risk, 14 of low risk while 25 species of insignificant invasiveness were found. A great share of these invasive species belongs to the family Fabaceae with 12 genera and 20 species, followed by Asteraceae with 12 genera and 13 species. Out of the 87 species present in Kerala, about 46% are herbs (40 species), 28% of shrubs (24 species), trees 13% (11 species), and climbers 14% (12 species). Out of these 87 invasive species, two are pteridophytes (Pteridium aquilinum and Salvinia molesta), while others angiosperms. Five species are aquatic, i.e., Cabombafurcata, Eichhornia crassipes, Limnocharis flava, Rhynchosporacory mbosaand Salvinia molesta.Mechanical control by weeding, chemical control using Diuron, Oxyflourfen, and 2,4D; and biological control using insects and pathogens, of which chemical control proved successful against the Invasive alien plants. Introduction Any biological species (animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms) which are introduced and established outside their natural range that negatively impact the native biodiversity, ecosystem function, health and human welfare are called invasive alien species (IAS). Invasive alien species occur in all taxonomic groups, including animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms, and can affect all types of ecosystems. While a small 1
percentage of organisms transported to new environments become invasive, the negative impacts can be extensive and over time, these additions become substantial. A species introduction is usually vectored by human transportation and trade. For a species to become invasive, it must successfully out-compete native organisms, spread through its new environment, increase in population density and harm ecosystems in its introduced range. To summarize, for an alien species to become invasive, it must arrive, survive and thrive. An invasive species-rich habitat exhibits a tendency towards steep degeneration. The soil ecosystem and the soil processes are also disrupted by the invasive alien species. Their presence affected the recruitment and growth of native species. Even though they are one major agent of most dramatic negative change – invasive alien species – remains invisible to the majority. These species have been creeping around the world at an everincreasing pace, largely unbated and with their movement facilitated by international human activity. The destruction that some of these species can cause can be life changing. Invasive species cause loss of biodiversity including species extinctions, and changes in hydrology and ecosystem function. For the past several decades, the invasive alien plant species have posed threats to biodiversity, ecosystem stability and enviromnetnal quality (Pejchar & Mooney, 2009; Kueffer, 2017; Jones & McDermott, 2018; Bartz & Kowarik, 2019). The spread of invasive alien species in India have been both ecologically and human mediated. From the list of 100 of world’s worst invasive species, 11 plant species occur in India and several of these in protected areas. In the study conducted by Reddy (2008),regarding the diversity of invasive alien flora of India, it is seen that a total of 173 invasive species were identified, belonging to 117 genera, under 44 families. Habit wise analysis shows herbaceous species share 151 species, followed by shrubs(14), climbers(5), and trees(3).In India, plant protection is the joint responsibility of both the Central and State Governments. Soumya and Sajeev (2018) engaged with the multiple dimensions of alien plant invasions in Kerala. Movement of species across the globe had been happening from historic times-a phenomenon which has witnessed the multi-fold increase in recent times owing to increase in trade, travel, transport and tourism across continents and countries. The control of invasive species can be done by mechanical control is highly 2
target- specific and labour intensive. Chemical control is often very effective as a short-term solution. Classical biological control is highly cost-effective, permanent, self-sustaining, ecologically safe and is appropriate for use in conservation areas, because of its ecofriendly nature and prohibition of pesticide use in such areas. Introducing a natural enemy for eradication of invasive species is a current focus of interest. Materials and Methods The present study focuses on a review of the invasive alien plants of Kerala. The state of Kerala lies along the south west corner of Peninsular India between 8o 18’ and 12o 48’ N latitude and 74o 52’ and 77o 22’ E longitude. The invasive species of the area were identified using the floras of Gamble and Fischer (1923), Manickam & Irudayaraj (1992), and SasidharanandSivarajan (1996) and the key provided byReddy et al. (2000). Plant specimens encountered within the plots laid were collected, preserved and prepared herbaria by following the method given by Martin (1995). The invasive species assessment protocol by Morse et al. (2004) was used for assessing, categorizing and listing nonnative invasive plant species according to their impact on native species and natural biodiversity in a particular geographical region or habitat. Results and Discussion According to a survey conducted by Kerala Forest Research Institute reported that 87 species belong to 67 genera in 31 families are invasive alien plants. In them 25 are high risk species, 23 showing medium risk, 14 of low risk while 25 species of insignificant invasiveness were found. Studies conducted by Sajeev et al. (2012) reported that 38 Invasive alien plants that are causing threat to the forests of Kerala. They fall under the category high risks, moderate risk, low risk and insignificant risk. It was clear that most of the invasive alien plants were purposefully introduced for horticultural, ornamental purposes, as a cover crop, etc. 31 plants of the 38 IAS, which are being threat to forest was intentionally introduced. A great share of these invasive species belongs to the family Fabaceae with 12 genera and 20 species, followed by Asteraceae with 12 genera and 13 species. Out of the 87 species present in Kerala, about 46% are herbs (40 species), 28% of shrubs (24 species), trees 13% (11 species), and climbers 14% (12 species). Most of the invasive species originated 3
from American continent (62 species), contributing nearly 71% of the total number of invasive species. It is followed by Africa with 9 species (10%). Out of these 87 invasive species, two are pteridophytes (Pteridium aquilinum and Salvinia molesta), while others angiosperms. Five species are aquatic, i.e., Cabombafurcata, Eichhornia crassipes, Limnocharis flava, Rhynchosporacorymbosaand Salvinia molesta. Out of the 87 taxa reported from Kerala, many plants are showing medicinal properties (Pappan& Thomas, 2017). The ‘pink-bloom’ phenomenon of Cabomba furcata in Avalappandi canal, Kuttiyottu Nada in Kozhikode district, went viral on social media attracted hundreds of tourists to the region recently. The invasion of Cabomba results in the choking of ecologically and economically important water bodies and drainage canals. It requires large quantities of oxygen for its growth, thus resulting in freshwater biodiversity decline and affecting the water quality (Times of India, 08.12.2020). The rust fungus, Puccinia spegazzinii, was used as a biocontrol agent against Mikania micrantha in the tea gardens in Assam and agricultural systems and forest sites in Kerala (Sankaran et al., 2007). Mechanical control by weeding, chemical control using Diuron, Oxyflourfen and 2,4D; and biological control using insects and pathogens, of which chemical control proved successful against the Invasive alien plants (Abraham, 1991). Sankaran and Pandalai, (2004) studied the application of various herbicides like Glyphosate and Diuron to control the species in plantations and forests. Recent studies focussed on the alternate protein content in the invasive plants (Iyer et al., 2021). Invasive species are thus a serious hindrance to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with significant undesirable impacts on the goods and services provided by ecosystems. Biological invasions now operate on a global scale and will undergo rapid increase in this century due to interaction with other changes such as increasing globalization of markets, rise in global trade, travel and tourism. More studies and applications of such effective strategies in our country should be done to manage Invasive Alien Species, and stop them from any more harmful invasions, for better vegetation and better environment for a better earth! List of invasive alien plants in Kerala Acanthaceae 1.Hypoestes sanguinolenta Baker. Alismataceae 4
2.Limnocharis flava(L.)Buchenau Amaranthaceae 3.Alternanthera brasiliana (L.)Kuntz 4.Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel)G.Nicholson 5.Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.)Griseb. 6.Amaranthus spinosus L. 7.Gomphrena celosioides Mart. Apocyanaceae 8.Asclepias curassavica L. 9.Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don 10.Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K.Schum Araceae 11.Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent. Asteraceae 12.Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King &H.Rob. 13.Ageratum conyzoides L. 14.Ageratum houstonianum Mill. 15.Bidens sulphurea Cav. 16.Centratherum intermedium (Link.) Less. 17.Chromolaena odorata(L.)R.M.King&Rob. 18.Erigeron karvinskianus DC. 19.Mikania micranthaKunth. 20.Parthenium hysterophorus L. 21.Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski 22.Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn 23.Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.)A.Gray. 24.Tridax procumbens L. Cabombaceae 25.Cabomba furcataSchult&Schult.f. Cyperaceae 26.Rhyncospora corymbosa (L.)Britton Cactaceae 27.Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Engelm.)F.M.Kunth. Combretaceae 28.Quisqualis indica L. Convolvulaceae 29.Ipomoea aquaticaForssk. 30.Ipomoea cairica (L.)Sweet 31.Ipomoea carnea Jacq. 32.Ipomoea hederifolia L. 33.Ipomoea purpurea (L.)Roth. 34.Ipomoea quamoclit L. 35.Merremia vitifolia (Burm.f.)Hall.f. Dennstaedtiaceae 36.Pteridum aquilinum (L.)Kuhn. Euphorbiaceae 37.Croton bonplandianusBaill. 38.Croton hirtusL.Herit. 39.Euphorbia heterophylla L. 40.Jatropha gossypifolia L. 41.Ricinus communis L. Fabaceae 42.Acacia mearnsiiDeWild. 43.Calopogonium mucunoidesDesv. 44.Centrasema mole Mart.ex.Benth. 45.Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.)deWit 46.Mimosa diplotrichaC.Wrigth.ex.Sauvalle 47.Mimosa diplotricha var. inermis (Adelb.)Veldkamp 48.Mimosa pudica L. 49.Mucuna bracteata DC. 5
50.Prosopis juliflora (Sw.)DC. 51.Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth. 52.Racosperma auriculiforme (A.Cunn.ex.Benth.)Pedley 53.Senna alata (L.)Roxb. 54.Senna hirsuta (L.)H.S.Irwin.et.Barneby 55.Senna occidentalis (L.)Link. 56.Senna siamea (Lam.)Irwin.et.Barneby 57.Senna spectabilis (DC.)Irwin.et.Barneby 58.Senna tora (L.)Roxb. 59.Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.)W.Wight 60.Sesbania grandiflora (L.)Poiret 61.Stylosanthes fruticosa (Retz.) Heliconiaceae 62.Heliconia psittacorumL.f. Iridaceae 63.Aristeaecklonii Baker. Lamiaceae 64.Hyptis capitata Jacq. 65.Hyptis suaveolens (L.)Poit. Melastomataceae 66.Clidemia hirta (L.)D.Don Muntingiaceae 67.Muntingia calabura L. Onagraceae 68.Ludwigia peruviana (L.)H.Hara. Papaveraceae 69.Argemone mexicana L. Passifloraceae 70.Passiflora foetida L. 71.Turnera subulata Sm. Pedaliaceae 72.Sesamum radiatumSchumach&Thonn. Phytolaccaceae 73.Phytoclacca octandra L. Pontederiaceae 74.Eichhornia crassipes Mart. Poaceae 75.Arundo donax L. 76.Pennisetum pedicellatumTrin. 77.Pennisetum polystachion (L.)Schult. Polygonaceae 78.Antigonon leptopusHook&Arn. Rhamnaceae 79.Maesopsis eminii Engl. Salviniaceae 80.Salvinia molestaD.Mitch. Solanaceae 81.Brugmansia arborea (L.)Sweet 82.Brugmansia suaveolens(Humb.&Bonpl.ex.Wild)Berch t&J.Presl. 83.Cestrum aurantiacumLindl. 84.Datura stramonium L. 85.Physalis angulata L. Verbenaceae 86.Duranta erecta L. 87.Lantana camara L. REFERENCES Abraham, M. 1991. Biology and controlof the weed Mikania micranthaHBK in Kerala Ph.D. Thesis, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikara. pp 114. Bartz, R., Kowarik, I., 2019. Assessing the environmental impacts of invasive alien plants: a review of assessment approaches. NeoBiota 43, 69–99. 6
Gamble, J. S. and Fischer, C.E.C. 1915- 1936. The flora of presidency of madras. Adlard and Son Ltd., London. Iyer, A., Bestwick, C.S., Duncan, S.H. and Russell, W.R. 2021. Invasive plants are a valuable alternate protein source and can contribute to meeting climate change Targets. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 5:575056. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.575056 Jones, B.A., McDermott, S.M., 2018. Health impacts of invasive species through an altered natural environment: assessing air pollution sinks as a causal pathway. Environ. Resour. Econ. 71 (1), 23–43. Kueffer, C., 2017.Plant invasions in the Anthropocene. 358 (6364), 724–725. Manikam, V. S. and Irudayaraj V. 1992. Pteridophyte flora of Western ghats, south India. BI Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. Martin, A. J. 1995. Ethnobotany- a methods manual. Chapman and hall, London. Pp. 268. Morse. L. E., J. M, Randalk, N. Benton, R. Heibert, and S. Lu- 2004. An invasive species assessment protocol: Evaluating Non-native plants for their impact on biodiversity. Version 1. Nature Serve, Arlington, Virginia. Pappan, A. and B. Thomas. 2017. Contributions of invasive plants in herbal medicinal practices. International Journal of Herbal Medicine. Vol 5:73-77. Pejchar, L., Mooney, H.A., 2009. Invasive species, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Trends Ecol. Evol. 24 (9), 497– 504. Reddy, C. S. 2008. Catalogue of invasive alien flora of India. Life science Journal 5(2): 84-89 Reddy, C.S., G. Bagyanarayana, K. N. Reddy and V. S. Raju. 2008. Invasive alien flora of India. National Biological Information Infrastructure, US Geological Survey, USA. 1-127. Sankaran, K. V. and Pandalai, R. C. 2004. Field trails for collecting Mikania infestation in forest plantation and natural forest in Kerala. KFRI research report no.265, 52pp Sankaran, K. V., Puzari, K. C., Ellison, C. A., Kumar, P. S. and Dev, V. 2007. Field release of the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii to control Mikania micrantha in India: protocols and raising awareness. In international symposium on biological control of weeds, 384-389; Julien.M.H, Sforza.R, Hunz.H.CandRector.B.G(eds.) Proceedings of international symposium, 22-27 April 2007, Le Grande motte, France. Sasidharan, N and Sivarajan, V. V. 1996. Flowering plants of Thrissur forests. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur. Soumya, R. and T. V. Sajeev. 2018. Ecology, phenology, and social contexts of invasion by selected alien plants in Kerala. KFRI Reports, 1-188. e-resources https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/k ochi/invasive-pink-bloom-to-affectecosystem/articleshow/79612694.cms?frm app=yes&from=mdr 7
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. The Life and Times of Annabhau Sathe, the Great Pioneer of Dalit Thought and Writing Unnikrishnan Kalamullathil Assistant Professor of English ,Sri Vyasa NSS College , Wadakkanchery Arya S. Independent scholar Abstract Dalits were denied the right to communicate because of the dehumanizing system called caste and rules dictated by that system. Much of Dalit history was passed down orally before the development of Dalit writing in India. Their experiences were not known to them in written form, and when they were, it was a representation by people who had no personal experience with Dalits. Dr. BR Ambedkar was the one who emphasised literary expression as a strategy of combating the caste system. Thus began Dalits' never-ending literary claim, which led them to compose strong novels about their experiences. It was a rebirth of their lived experience, which had been usurped by the writings of the elites in Indian society. Annabhau Sathe was the great pioneer of Dalit thought and writing in India. His writings were brilliant because he used all art forms, and it was because of him that Dalit literature arose during the 1960s and 1970s. Sathe was a revolutionary writer who wrote significantly and portrayed his characters as being from the lower layers of society, battling against oppression and defying class and caste standards in order to achieve their true status. The images that Annabhau asserts via his works, which stand as ideals of self-respect and struggle, reflects his anguish against caste and class oppression. This paper is an attempt to map the life and times of Annabhau Sathe. Keywords: Dalit writing, Annabhau Sathe, Marathi literature. Of beginnings Annabhau Sathe, born Tukaram Bhaurao Sathe, was a social revolutionary who played a pivotal role in shaping the ideological environment of Dalit politics and literature. Annabhau Sathe was born on the 1st of August 1920 in Wadegan, Sangli district of Maharashtra. Sathe's parents were from the Mang caste, a Dalit community with no stable livelihood. The Mangs earned their daily bread by playing musical instruments during festivities and doing various kinds of odd jobs. They lived in slums within the city limits, and were subjected to constant harassment by the authorities, including the police. They were also persecuted as criminals under the Colonial Act of 1871. Although his father tried to get young Tukaram admitted to the school, the authorities initially refused to admit the child belonging to a “criminal” community. He was able to go to school after constant struggle; however, his education didn’t last long as he was forced to drop out before completing his primary 8
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. education due to constant humiliation and neglect by his peers and his teachers. Caste was so entrenched in society that it did not accommodate a student from the most backward and socially isolated community. Though Sathe did not complete his formal education, his life became his school and his experiences, his lessons. When Sathe's father arrived in the village, he and his family moved to Mumbai as they could not find another job. They travelled to Mumbai on foot, working along the way, as they did not have the money to pay for the trip. Their condition was so miserable that that it took them two months to travel 255 km. During the Great Depression, his father lost his job as a gardener in Mumbai, and his family's poverty worsened. A Revolutionary is Born Tukaram was 11 years old when he first arrived in Mumbai. His father was denied a job in the village for the sole reason that he was a Dalit, but the situation in the city of Mumbai was different. A young Tukaram engaged in various jobs. While in Mumbai, he worked as a porter, a dog keeper, a door-to-door salesman, washed dishes in restaurants, and polished shoes. He passed his time by going to the movies. He watched most of the films released during the silent era. It was during this time that he became a member of a folk art group and started singing and acting. This was a watershed moment. An inaugural speech made by Nana Patil, one of the leading contemporary revolutionaries and social activists, before an event in a village, inspired Annabhau and changed his life. It was through this speech that Annabhau came to know and understand the anti-people policies of the British government and the capitalist tyranny unleashed against the mill workers. He realized that all the songs he sang until then justified social inequality and glorified the gods and goddesses. He felt as though the life he had led up to that point in singing and playing instruments had been entirely futile. The realization that many people live in poverty and some people live rich in pleasures not on the basis of fate, but on the basis of economic inequality changed Annabhau’s world of thought. He decided that songs should be sung not only to make people happy but also to inspire people to react against injustice. Sathe was attracted to communism through Nana Patil's speech and became an active member of the Communist Party. He could see the gap between the rich and the poor He used folk songs effectively to propagate communist ideas. His activities as part of the folk group played a key role in nurturing the Annabhau’s talent. In 1944, he and two of his friends formed an art group based on progressive ideas. They called it the Red Revolution Group. It was also a time when people were becoming aware of the 9
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. concepts of freedom and equality. To highlight the problems of the downtrodden and the poor, and to discuss them, Annabhau made good use of the artistic activities of the group as a whole. He called on the people to take part in the struggle for freedom and rights. Annabhau and his art became famous all over Maharashtra and people started calling him 'Shahir Annabhau’and 'Lok Shahir'. The government banned his art group, accusing it of spreading anti-government propaganda. But the ban did not deter Annabhau, the revolutionary and artist. He later used folk songs to propagate revolutionary ideas. During this time Annabhau began working in a mill. This helped him understand the plight of the workers first hand and take a clear stand on it. By this time, industrialisation turned Mumbai into a beacon of hope for farmers and labourers struggling with unemployment and poverty. Poverty-stricken people could find employment in Mumbai's industrial establishments, but they lived in deplorable conditions. Capitalists accumulated wealth at the expense of the labourers, and their lives grew more luxurious. But the common man, the labourer and the farmer, was pushed into an abyss of perpetual poverty and misery. Consequently, the working class was driven to the outskirts of the city and into the slums. The Multifaceted Genius of Annabhau Sathe Meanwhile Sathe became aware of the Soviet Union, and its rise to power following the Socialist Revolution. He was greatly influenced by the measures taken by the Soviet government to improve the lives of peasants and workers, and by the stories of the better lives enjoyed by the people as a result. In 1943, he translated a Russian revolutionary anthem about Soviet Russia which caused his fame to spread far and wide. In a travelogue that Sathe wrote, he is seen to express his keen interest in visiting the Soviet Union. During this period, Sathe also wrote several novels and short stories. He learned more about the deeply ingrained caste system in Indian society and the relationship between social wellbeing and economic development. He sought to understand more about communism and read many communist works. He became fascinated by Ambedkar's ideology and educated himself through Babasaheb’s works. Thus,Sathe arrived at the integrative approach to Ambedkar and Marx. Both of these ideas deeply influenced his writings and activities. Sathe envisioned a world of ideas in which Ambedkar and Marx would unite in the struggle for the liberation of mankind from slavery and exploitation. He had no doubt that freedom was not only liberation from foreign domination but also liberation from the caste system. 10
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. Sathe was also an active participant of freedom movement. He took part in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement and the Goa freedom struggle. In his poem “Take a hammer to change the world”, Annabhau calls for unity against tyranny and envisions a society without exploitation: He inspired the protesters by composing folk songs and heroic songs. He wrote: “My maina is left behind in the village my heart yearns for her.”(Annabhau Sathe Samagra Vagnmay, 1998) All his works were widely received by the masses and inspired millions to participate in the agitations. He also penned twelve screenplays that were successfully filmed and screened. All of Sathe’s important works were composed during the years from 1942 to1966. Till date, he has been credited with thirty two novels, twenty two collections of short stories, ten folk plays, one travelogue, several lyric poems, two plays, several screenplays, and hundreds of revolutionary songs. His works have been translated into fourteen Indian languages and several world languages, including German, Russian, and French. Man, Writer, Visionary Sathe’s life was one of tumult and struggle. He lived as an ordinary man among ordinary people. During his life, he was, among other things, a porter, a journalist, and a screen writer. He had utmost respect for manual labour as he had for other kind of jobs. In 1945 he began working for the weekly Lok Yudha. It was a publication working alongside the communist ideology. Annabhau also had a remarkable career as a journalist. He would constantly wield his pen to portray the experiences of ordinary people suffering under colonial rule. During this time he also wrote the plays Aklechi Goshth, Khapya Chor and Masi Mumbai. Annabhau Sathe’s life experiences and the lives he saw around him shaped his writing, and transformed it into creative work based on social constraints. Sathe was convinced that the writer needs to stand with the masses about whom he was writing. His writings are narratives of the lives, struggles and survival of the marginalized in mainstream society. Whether male or female, rural or urban, the characters in his works are all Dalits, adivasis or members of the oppressed sections as opposed to the mainstream society built on a golden common sense. For Tukaram’s truth still holds: Through his writing, he introduced to the world, a historically oppressed people, their shared cultural memory, and their struggle for life, which was branded as inferior in the Indian caste system. His characters represent very diverse lifestyles; they articulated the harsh realities and views of life that existed outside the boundaries 11
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. of the ivory towers of mainstream literature. Racism, untouchability, slavery, and poverty were Annabhau Sathe’s themes of choice, and with good reason. In the introduction to a Marathi short story “Barbadya Kanjari”, he writes: “The life I live, see and experience is the life I write about. No bird am I to fly on the wings of fantasy. I am a frog, close to the ground…When Barbariya’s ear was cut off, I was sitting in the dark and watching… Sultan, Bhomkiya, and I were in Amravathi jail all facing murder charges… Mukul Mulani still calls me mama (uncle)… The Tuka who ate the donkey out of anger is still alive… All my characters are real, alive.” Annabhau Sathe wrote in an attempt to achieve the goal of social equality by sharply criticizing the caste system which degrades and exploits human beings. Beyond the aesthetic world of literature, he turned art and literature into a weapon in the fight against injustice in the world in which he lived.The anger born of humiliation informs his writing. A character of his famous story Khulanwadi says, “They are not corpses. They are living men of flesh and blood. They can ride a wild horse. It is impossible to defeat them in swordsmanship.” Sathe’s writing has played a significant role in shaping the ideology of Dalit politics and socio - cultural activities. His work in Marathi played a pivotal role in shaping the ideological environment of Dalit thought formed in the sixties. His crucial contribution was to recognize the value of the political application of the daily lives of the Dalit-oppressed masses. The serious issues he raised through his writing are still relevant today. He addressed the issue of respect for women and their social status, the suffering and pain caused by the caste system, and the exploitation and social problems experienced by the Dalit-oppressed masses. Many writers, including Annabhau Sathe, have a special place in the expression of Sanskrit-bound Indian literature in vernacular languages, local linguistic diversity and biographies. In his famous speech at the inauguration of the first Dalit Literary Conference in Mumbai on March 2, 1958, Sathe’s observations on Dalit life experiences and the importance of documenting them are very relevant. A Concluding Note In the present age where divisive politics has become strong, Dalits are subject to brutal oppression. Constitutional values and democratic rights, including caste reservation, are constantly being challenged. Dalits are tormented by Statesponsored violence. People who are marginalized by the nexus of corporate capitalism and majoritarian politics, led by money capitalism, are increasingly weakened and ruthlessly excluded from the mainstream of society. Even the right to life of Dalit-oppressed12
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. minority communities is being questioned. Hate politics, is perpetuated and Dalits are massacred. The state-led repression violates all democratic and constitutional rights. It considers the VedicBrahmanical past and the values it upholds as a golden age, and dreams of its re-enactment. However, in the current Indian context where divisive politics constantly challenges the secular idea of India, it is time to recognize the resistive power in Annabhau Sathe’s writings and recapture them through re-reading. Select Bibliography Annabhau Sathe Samagra Vagnmay(Marathy), Maharashtra State Board of Literature and Culture, 1998 Awad, Milind . The Life and Work of Annabhau Sathe: A Marxist-Ambedkarite Mosaic. Gaur Publishers & Distributors,2010 Gaikwad, B. N. "Manifestation of Caste and Class in Anna Bhau Sathe's Fakira and Baburao Bagul's Jenvha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti" (PDF). The Criterion, February 2013 Paul, S. K.). "Dalitism: Its Growth and Evaluation". In Prasad, Amar Nath; Gaijan, M. B. (eds.). Dalit Literature: A Critical Exploration. Sarup & Sons, 2007. p. 36. "Annabhau Sathe - Forgotten Hero, Communist Who Turned To Ambedkarite". velivada.com. http://www.annabhausathe.org https://www.forwardpress.in/2019/08/annabhausathe-revolutionary-poet-novelist-playwrightand-social-reformer/ 13
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. Artificial intelligence - Implication in Materials Engineering Dr. R. Manu Assistant Professor & HoD Research Department of Chemistry, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkanchery. 1. INTRODUCTION From the Stone Age to the upcoming fourth generation industrial revolution the human history is marked with the development of new materials which were inevitable for his daily needs for having better living conditions. The development of new materials and the improvement of various process techniques has its impact in promoting human society. Large amount of data generated through centuries of relentless research in materials science could deliver new materials and it could fuel for further research for developing certain wonder materials viz. graphene, carbon nano tube etc. that could impact the human society. The cotemporary research on materials science focused on trial-and-error method based various review reports and on different experimental protocols. As we know this could extract some useful results yet the time consumed, man power, financial assistance, sophisticated laboratories etc. caused major hurdles in delivering a real system. The emergence of artificial intelligence brings a new dawn to the material research that shift the wet lab protocol to dry lab practices. The paradigm shift in material research can be viewed as the result of data mining ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) coupled with the data-intensive science that combines big data and AI to compress lots of known information into unknown theories to guide scientific innovations. The statistical and machine learning (ML) algorithms, broadly characterized as “Artificial Intelligence (AI)” within the materials science community that has experienced a resurgence in recent years to make hybrid machines and process protocol [1]. However, applications of AI to material science have ebbed and showed a downward trend analysing the reports of past few decades [2–7]. The initial interest was sparked in 1956, where the term was first coined, and although interest and funding were available, computational power was simply too limited [11]. A rekindling of the topic was began in the late 1980s, as more algorithms, such as back propagation for neural networks or the kernel method for classification were utilized [12, 13]. The recent spike has been driven in large part by the success of deep learning (DL), with the parallel rise in 14
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. graphics processing units and general computational power [14-16]. The question becomes most relevant as whether the present dramatic progress in AI can translate to the materials science community for further applications. In fact, the key enabling component of any AI application is the availability of large volumes of structured labelled data—which we term as “libraries.” Both traditional correlative ML and a path for investigating underlying causal physical actions are made possible by library data. We argue in this prospective that, when done in the appropriate manner, AI can be transformative not only in that it can allow for acceleration of scientific discoveries but also that it can change the way materials science is conducted. The recent acceleration of adoption of AI/ML-based approaches in materials science can be traced back to a few key factors. Perhaps, most pertinent is the Materials Genome Initiative, which was launched in 2011 with an objective to transform manufacturing via accelerating materials discovery and deployment [17]. It is clear that materials informatics is an interdisciplinary field that help researchers to solve critical issues, and to delve into hidden relation between different variables and to optimise process sequence and the parameters including characterisation methods. 1.1 What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of Science which deals with helping machines to find solutions for complex problems in a more human-like fashion that combines computer and the huge data sets. This generally involves borrowing characteristics from human intelligence, and applying them as algorithms in a computer friendly way. A more or less flexible or efficient approach can be taken depending on the requirements established, which influences how artificial the intelligent behaviour appears. 15
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. 1.2 APPLICATIONS OF AI Figure-1 shows the application of AI in various fields. Application of artificial intelligence techniques is applied in Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). This utilizes the different artificial intelligence methods for shielding PC and correspondence systems from gate crashers. Interruption Detection System (IDS) is the way toward observing the occasions happening in system and identifying the indications of interruption. Other areas of application of artificial intelligence technique is in medical diagnostic analysis and treatment protocols such as robotic surgery and drug delivery. Following are some of the key areas where AI can be applied to make logical conclusions. Fuzzy Expert Systems in Medicine: Fuzzy logic is a data handling methodology that permits ambiguity and hence is particularly suited to medical applications. It captures and implements the concept of fuzziness in a computationally effective manner. The most likely area of application for this theory used in medical diagnostics and, to a lesser extent, in the description of biological systems. Medical Image Classification: Artificial intelligence techniques are used for diagnostic sciences in biomedical image classification. Model-based intelligent analysis a decision-support tools that are important in medical imaging for computer-assisted diagnosis and evaluation. CAD helps radiologist who use the output from a computerized analysis of medical images as a second opinion in detecting lesions, assessing extent of disease, and improving the accuracy and consistency of radiological diagnosis to reduce the rate of false negative cases. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) Approach on Diagnostic Science: The accompanying subsections will talk about how ANN is used for picture grouping over ages. Endoscopic Images: Image classification is an important step in CAD. In classification of endoscopic images, a hybrid implementation by advanced fuzzy inference neural network which combines fuzzy systems and Radial Basis Function (RBF) was proposed. The concept of fusion of multiple classifiers dedicated to specific feature parameters with an exactness of 94.28%. MRI Brain Tumor Analysis: For the MRI brain tumor images a general regression neural network (GRNN) based automatic three-dimensional classification method was proposed. This method had good timeconsuming rate and classification accuracy. 16
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. Another intelligent classification technique proposed was Least Squares Support Vector Machines (LS-SVM). It identifies normal and abnormal slices of brain MRI data. This technique had a higher accuracy of classification over other classifiers as the false negative in LS- SVM was very low compared. 2. PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE Machine learning and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used in materials science research. There are four main components which is successful in applying ML to materials: (i) acquiring large enough datasets, (ii) designing feature vectors that can appropriately describe the material, (iii) implementing a validation strategy for the models, and (iv)interpreting the ML model where ever applicable. The first step (i) is facilitated by the generation of the large data sets mentioned above. Step (ii) is more complicated: while the databases provide a consistent set of target data, conversion of core material science knowledge to computers requires feature vector generation of all those materials in the databases. Chemical description based on elemental properties (for instance, the average of electronegativity and ionization potentials in a compound) have been successfully applied in areas such as alloy formation and have led to various computational discoveries [18]. Fourier series and several other recent works, features such as classical force field inspired descriptors (CFID) and fragment descriptors that allow combing structural and chemical descriptors in one unified framework [19-22]. These are generally a fixed size descriptor of all the samples in the dataset. For example, MagPie gives 145 features, while CFID gives 1557 descriptors. Table-1 describes some relevant datas based on AI based materials property predictions for different types of materials and the link for the same. TABLE-1 Examples of AI-based materialproperty predictions for different types of materials. 17
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. ML-based materials screening Sr. No. Models Properties trained Materials (data points) Links 1 AFLOWML Bandgaps, bulk and shear modulus, Debye temperature, specific heat, thermal expansion coefficient A (26,674) http://aflow.org/aflow-ml/ 2 GBML Bulk and shearmodulus A (1940) https://github.com/materialsproject/gbml 3 MagPie Volume, band gap energy, and formation energy B (228,676) https://bitbucket.org/wolverton/magpie 4 JARVISML Formation energies, bandgaps, static refractive indices, magnetic moment, modulus of elasticity, and exfoliation energies A (24,549), C (647) https://www.ctcms.nist.gov/jarvisml, https://github.com/usnistgov/jarvis 5 GCNN Zero-point vibrational energy, dipole moment, internal energy, formation energies, band gaps, elastic properties, etc. C (20,000) https://github.com/deepchem/deepchem In order to extract model Hamiltonians and recognise various magnetic regimes, superconductivity-ML was recently applied to neutron scattering data of a frustrated magnet with a complex phase diagram. Another very recent work reported a convolutional-neural network- based classifier designed to distinguish topological from trivial materials and trained on X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) data. The model showed high accuracy in distinguishing the different classes of materials, demonstrating the potential of ML methods in recognizing topological character embedded in complex spectral features. As physicists focus more and more on materials with unusual properties, which grounded in many-body 18
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. quantum mechanics, their research methods have to evolve. The ongoing revolution in AI is a great opportunity for the condensed matter physics community, and ML tools are starting to play an important role in the study of quantum materials. A comparison between conventional method and AI method for identifying material with optimum properties shows that after constant parameter adjustment, the model can screen and classify solid electrolytes, figure-2. This could identify new candidate materials for defined applications. The results show that the efficiency of identifying potential new materials using the modified MATLAB model is three times higher than that of random guessing and two times higher than that of Stanford graduate students working in related fields. Figure-2 shows a schematic illustration comparing the conventional and new learning practice in materials engineering. Figure-2 Schematic of comparison between conventional DFT and machine learning approach. 19
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. Figure-3 Convergence of various data bases and its integration Figure-3 depicts that the progress in materials science requires understanding driving forces governing phenomena, so that materials can be both discovered and optimized for applications. Fundamentally, accessing the knowledge space to accelerate this cycle requires the availability of data from simulations and the experiment for materials synthesized under different conditions. Imaging provides a window into local configurations and provides a critical link for understanding the driving forces of observed behaviour. ML tools enable the generation of these databases and facilitate a rapid prediction of properties from datadriven models. Similarly, the data can be synthesized together in a Bayesian formulation, or using statistical mechanical models, to agglomerate all available sources of information to produce more accurate predictions. Ideally, the knowledge gained will be transferable, enabling more efficient design cycles for 20
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. similar material systems. These tools all require community efforts for availability of code, data, and workflows, which are all critical in realizing this new future. In a recent reported work researchers identified the effect of strain in tuning the properties of the materials. Applying just a bit of strain to a piece of semiconductor or other crystalline material can deform the orderly arrangement of atoms in its structure enough to cause dramatic changes in its properties, such as the way it conducts electricity, transmits light, or conducts heat. Recent research by Suresh, Dao, and Yang Lu, showed that even diamond, the strongest and hardest material found in nature, can be elastically stretched by as much as 9 percent without failure when it is in the form of nanometersized needles. Li and Yang similarly demonstrated that nanoscale wires of silicon can be stretched purely elastically by more than 15 percent. These discoveries have opened up new avenues to explore how devices can be fabricated with even more dramatic changes in the materials’ properties. These findings have opened up new directions for research into how even more pronounced changes in the material properties might be included into the fabrication of devices. These discoveries have opened up new avenues to explore how devices can be fabricated with even more dramatic changes in the materials’ properties. These discoveries points to the development of smart materials for future application. This requires integration of machine learning and algorithms to derive new lease of materials already researcher for their interesting properties. 3. SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK The area identified in the present report has the potential to accelerate materials development via an integrated approach combining HT computation and experimentation, imaging libraries, and statistical physics-based modeling. In the future, autonomous systems that can utilize this knowledge and perform on the fly optimization (e.g., using reinforcement learning) may become feasible. This would result in ever increasing sizes of the libraries, but also more efficient search and optimization. 4. CONCLUSIONS Applying the science behind artificial intelligence makes way for developing hybrid machines that can think analytically, using concepts. For the past two decades tremendous contribution to the various applications concerning healthcare, security etc. have been addressed by artificial Intelligence techniques. Artificial Intelligence will continue to play a pivotal role in thrust areas of modern science and technology. The way materials behave and 21
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. the specific properties it bears could be fine-tuned or can be totally altered for making them potential candidates for myriad applications through convergence of machine learning and algorithm forming a new interdisciplinary field conveyed through artificial intelligence. 5. REFERENCES 1. A. Agrawal and A. Choudhary: Perspective: Materials informatics and big data: realization of the ‘fourth paradigm’ of science in materials science. APL Mater. 4, 053208 (2016). 2. A.A. Gakh, E.G. Gakh, B.G. Sumpter, and D.W. Noid: Neural net work graph theory approach to the prediction of the physical properties of organic compounds. J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 34, 832 (1994). 3. B.G. Sumpter, C. Getino, and D.W. Noid: Neural network predictions of energy transfer in macromolecules. J. Phys. Chem. 96, 2761 (1992). 4. M. Nikiforov, V. Reukov, G. Thompson, A. Vertegel, S. Guo, S. Kalinin, and S. Jesse: Functional recognition imaging using artificial neural networks: applications to rapid cellular identification via broadband electromechanical response. Nanotechnology 20, 405708 (2009). 5. K.R. Currie and S.R. LeClair: Selfimproving process control for molecular beam epitaxy. Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 8, 244 (1993). 6. A. Bensaoula, H.A. Malki, and A.M. Kwari: The use of multilayer neural networks in material synthesis. IEEE Trans. Semiconduct. Manuf. 11, 421 (1998). 7. K.K. Lee, T. Brown, G. Dagnall, R. Bicknell-Tassius, A. Brown, and G.S. May: Using neural networks to construct models of the molecular beam epitaxy process. IEEE Trans. Semiconduct. Manuf. 13, 34 (2000). 11. J. McCarthy, M.L. Minsky, N. Rochester, and C.E. Shannon: A proposal for the Dartmouth summer research project on artificial intelligence, August 31, 1955. AI Magazine 27, 12 (2006). 12. Y. LeCun: A theoretical framework for back-propagation. In Proceedings of the 1988 Connectionist Models Summer School, edited by D. Touresky, G. Hinton, and T. Sejnowski (Morgan Kaufmann, CMU, Pittsburgh, PA, 1988) p. 21. 22
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol 1. Issue 1. 13. B.E. Boser, I.M. Guyon, and V.N. Vapnik: A training algorithm for optimal margin classifiers. In Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Workshop on Computational Learning Theory; ACM, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 1992;p. 144. 14. Y. LeCun, Y. Bengio, and G. Hinton: Deep learning. Nature 521, 436(2015). 15. A.R. Brodtkorb, T.R. Hagen, and M.L. Sætra: Graphics processing unit (GPU) programming strategies and trends in GPU computing. J. Parallel Distrib. Comput. 73, 4 (2013). 16. K. Rupp: 42 Years of Microprocessor Trend Data, 2018. https://www. karlrupp.net/2018/02/42- years-of-microprocessor-trend-data 17. J.J. de Pablo, B. Jones, C.L. Kovacs, V. Ozolins, and A.P. Ramirez: The materials genome initiative, the interplay of experiment, theory and computation.Curr. Opin. Solid State Mater. Sci. 18, 99 (2014). 18. L. Ward, A. Agrawal, A. Choudhary, and C. Wolverton: A general purpose machine learning framework for predicting properties of inorganic materials. npj Comput. Mater. 2, 16028 (2016). 19. A.P. Bartók, R. Kondor, and G. Csányi: On representing chemical environments. Phys. Rev. B 87, 184115 (2013). 20 F.A. Faber, L. Hutchison, B. Huang, J. Gilmer, S.S. Schoenholz, G.E. Dahl, O. Vinyals, S. Kearnes, P.F. Riley, and O.A. von Lilienfeld: Prediction errors of molecular machine learning models lower than hybrid DFT error. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 13, 5255 (2017). 21. K. Choudhary, B. DeCost, and F. Tavazza: Machine learning with force field inspired descriptors for materials: fast screening and mapping energy landscape. Phys Rev Mater., 2(8) (2018) 22. O. Isayev, C. Oses, C. Toher, E. Gossett, S. Curtarolo, and A. Tropsha:Universal fragment descriptors for predicting properties of inorganic crystals. Nat. Commun. 8, 15679 (2017). 23
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies Vol.I Issue 1. Digital Transformation in Academic Libraries Dr. Jyothi G Nair, College Librarian, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakanchery. Email: [email protected] Due to the spread of Covid -`19, libraries were forced to close unexpectedly, and the library sector had to create workable operating procedures for their users. The paper discusses the library's condition amid the crisis period and emphasises the challenges the epidemic has created for digital services. In order to promote online teaching and learning, the library has created new initiatives and converted certain old services into digital formats. Introduction Recently, a technological revolution has been driven by the Covid-19 pandemic in every aspect of human life. Significant change is resulted in all aspects, particularly in the academic sector. We have moved from testing to implementation throughout this little time period. Digital Transformation was one of the main changes that occurred in the academic sector. An effort is being made here to comprehend the issues and difficulties associated with digital transformation in Academic libraries during the pandemic. “Digital Transformation (DT) primarily is an organizational change. It is implemented with the use of technology in areas such as operation models, models of cooperation with the external and internal environment, service provided, a technology used, and information management” (Mazurek, 2019) . DT is about doing things differently and developing an entirely new model. Along with digitization, the idea of digital transformation is frequently employed. They aren't the same, though, While DT is the concept of offering online and offline services utilising digital platforms and the internet, Digitization is the process of turning a physical resource into a digital resource. For digital transformation, organisations need strong management, a clear vision, and forward-thinking leadership. Factors Enabled Digital Transformation Increased IT processing power Communication speed Introduction of automation and robotics. Appearance of Augmented, Virtual, and mixed reality. Artificial intelligence and machine learning. Big data Strong analytics. The following factors are driving the adoption of digital transformation. Strong competition Financial Pressure User Expectations ‘New Normal’ (a product of the Covid-19 Pandemic). The process of digital transform ation in the public sector is a complex process. A company undergoing digital transfor mation has to implement organisational and human resource reforms (Vial, 2019). 24
Therefore, digital transformation in the context of libraries involves more than just digitising books; it also affects the library's overall goals. The pandemic period has bought a transformative change in the information seeking behaviour of faculty and students. Libraries throughout the world are reconsidering approaches to library infrastructure, services, and collections in response to the difficulties of the digital era since library customers have a variety of information needs. There are many other factors which forced libraries to change, Such as change in scholarly communication, change in research publication, change in user demands and user's direct access to information. The complexity of blended learning, experiential learning, distributed learning, the ensuing requirement for mobile material delivery, the increased emphasis on research data management and data mining, and the expansion of dissemination possibilities have resulted in new expectations from learners and researchers. All of this results in adjustments to user needs for areas and services, including a decline in the need for print collections. Even though most teachers and students are aware of how dependent they are on internet access to information resources, the subject of collections can be challenging. As a result, library rooms can be changed to better serve students, staff in the digital information age. Need for Digital Transformation in Academic Libraries "While the primary goal of an academic library has always been to support the curriculum, the idea has been greatly improved in light of the demands and expectations that modern students have in terms of technology”. The library encourages formal and informal collaboration to support students, teachers, researchers, and scholars in accomplishing their academic and research objectives. As a result of the rapid advancement of technology the academic library had to completely restructure its programmes and services. For the library to continue to be an important component of the academic experience, it must be completely accessible, flexible, technologically advanced, and dedicated to provide services that it’s constantly changing users. But it’s not always easy, when technology continues to advance at an increasingly rapid pace. The corona pandemic globally created a 'new normal' situation; this also demanded the maximum use of digital or virtual medium. The impact of this also affected the functioning of the libraries. The main opportunities of digital transformation in Academic libraries are... To provide flexible, multipurpose spaces that can accommodate the various information and programming needs of library users. To provide IT resources that are user-friendly, support the use of personal devices, and enable simple access to information and virtual libraries. To record scholarly research encompassing databases, visualizations and other media. To establish a channel between users and online resources. Semantic web technology could enable more precise searches of library catalogues and databases. 25
Challenges Academic libraries are currently undergoing certain challenges with their digital transformation. These challenges vary depending upon the institution; some are common regardless of the institution. The main challenges are: Budget constraints Lack of a comprehensive vision. Lack of support from parent institution. Library staff struggles to embrace the changing role because they lack a clear knowledge of how their responsibilities are shifting from archivists to information assistants with a variety of skills. Lack of skilled workers. Reluctance to move to new technologies. Difficulties during the transform ation period. A lack of harmony between the tactical and the strategic. Conclusion Academic libraries take on a significant role in the digital transformation. The scholarly information environment has undergone radical transformation due to the digital age, which has also profoundly altered how academics and students utilize libraries. The most potential areas to be developed in an effort to increase the community's knowledge base are digital libraries and the digital transformation of heritage information. Libraries must adapt quickly to the changing educational landscape in order to compete in all facets of the academic experience. Reference 1. Retrieved from https://www.institutefordigitaltransf ormation.org/ 2. Deja, M., Rak, D., & Bell, B. (2021). Digital transformation readiness: perspectives on acade mia and library outcomes in information literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(5), 102403. 3. Mazurek, C.; Stroinski, M. (2022, January). Technology pillars for digital transformation of cities based on open software architecture for end to end data streaming. In Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 4. Mehta, D. and Wang, X. (2020), "COVID-19 and digital library services – a case study of a university library", Digital Library Perspectives, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 351-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-05- 2020-0030 . 5. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/vie ws/2020/06/05/academic-librarieswill-change-significant-ways-resultpandemic-opinion. 26
The Zenith: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol. 1. Issue 1. Overview of Street Vendors: A Study on Wadakkanchery Muncipality, Thrissur Dhanya, S . Asst. Professor, Dept of Economics, Sri Vyasa N. S. S College, Wadakkanchery, Saranya Chandran E. HSST(Jr.) Economics, GHSS Erumapetty. email : [email protected] Abstract : A person who offers things for sale to the general public without having a permanent built-up structure from which to sell is generally referred to as a street vendor. Street vendors may be mobile in the sense that they move from place to place by carrying their goods on push carts or in baskets on their heads or fixed in the sense that they occupy space on the sidewalks or other public/private locations. Street sellers are becoming more prevalent in large cities all over the world, particularly in developing Asia, Latin America, and African nations. Urban population growth has stimulated a rise in the number of street vendors in many cities in Kerala. Migration from rural areas to urban centres has created a daily need among many working people to eat outside the home. Wadakkanchery is a small town in Thrissur district of Kerala. Wadakkanchery area part of Thalappilly Taluk. Currently more than 2 million people are engaged in street vending business. But the society gave them less attention for them. This study aimed to analysis the role of street vending. The area of the study of the project is Wadakkanchery municipality. The Wadakkanchery municipality was selected due to there is the largest street vending is occurring in Thrissur district. 1 Introduction The most prominent feature of the informal economy is street vending, which is a global phenomenon. Street vending is characterized by a low income threshold, ease of entrance, selfemployment, and a high participation rate. Millions of people throughout the world make a living by selling a wide variety of items and services on the street in cities and towns. Despite the widespread idea that as economies grow and incomes rise, street hawking will change, It is actually on increase in many people. Street vendors are very important part of the informal sector in the country. It is estimated that around 80% of the population are engaged in street vending profession. Women form a large segment of street vending in all most every city. The most prominent feature of the informal economy is street vending, which is a global phenomenon. Street vending is characterised by a low income threshold, ease of entrance, self-employment, and a high participation rate. Millions of people throughout the world make a living by selling a wide variety of items and services on the street in cities and towns.Despite the widespread idea that as economies grow and incomes rise, street hawking will change, Since ancient times, there have been street merchants. One can find records of travelling merchants who did business with neighbours in addition to selling their goods in the town by knocking on doors in ancient and mediaeval 27
civilizations. Perhaps the reason why ancient and mediaeval civilizations thrived was because they were accepting of these nomadic traders. Today, we observe that street merchants are not always given the same respect and tolerance. The urban middle class frequently complains about how these vendors make urban life a living hell as they obstruct pavements, cause traffic problems, and also participate in anti-social behaviour. They are targeted by municipalities and police in metropolitan areas as illegal dealers. The urban middle class frequently complains about how these vendors make urban life a living hell as they obstruct pavements, cause traffic problems, and also participate in anti-social behaviour. They are targeted by municipalities and police in metropolitan areas as illegal dealers. , the urban middle class complains constantly on how these vendors make urban life a living hell as they block pavements , create traffic problem and also engage in anti - social activities .Today , vending is an important source of employment for a large number of urban poor as it requires low skills and small financial inputs . Collecting and providing reliable data on street vending is a challenging one. Street vendors may not report their place of work at all. Street vendors informal association that negotiated with local authorities. This in- variably means offering rents to the authorities to the defend them selves from eviction drives or as a payment fore- warning them about approaching drives . These associations collect money from their members and pay it as rent to the concerned authorities. In some case local musclemen, collect protection fees by threatening them. Their links with the local authorities ensure that those who pay will not be disturbed and those who do not pay will face eviction either by the musclemen or the authorities. National Associations of Street Vendors of India (NASVI)‟s study of street vendors found that they pay between 10% to 20% of their earning as rent. In Mumbai the total rent collected amounts to rupees for billion annually . In the year 2000 ,in Delhi, Manushi Trust, a women‟s organisations, found that rupees 500 million is collected from these people as rent . These finding were later endorsed by the Central Vigilance Commission . Thus they regularly bribe the authorities to carry out their trade . A substantial income is spent on all these payments. It dampens their earnings . Ultimately they earn a meagre income. Vending profession is full of insecurity and uncertainty since they occupy road side and accidents occur at any time .Since they do not have access any government assisted social security, they manage themselves. However, it is seen that around 88 percent street vendor don’t know even the term “ security”. 2. Objectives of the study. To know the socio economic condition of street vendors in Wadakkancherry Municipality To describe the nature of street vending in Wadakkancherry Municipality 3. Importance of the study 28
Since they operate on the side of the road, accidents can happen at any time, making the vending industry unstable and uncertain. They handle themselves because they don't have access to any government-sponsored social security. However, it has been shown that 88 percent of street vendors are not even familiar with the word "security". Currently more than 2 million people are engaged in street vending business. But the society gave them less attention for them. This study aimed to analysis the nature of street vending and socio-economic condition of street v e n d o r s . 3.1 Socio economic conditions of street vendors in kerala Urban population growth has stimulated a rise in the number of street vendors in many cities in Kerala. Street vendors were observed in most public and private places including industrial and construction sites, hospitals,, bus stations, shopping and commercial centers, pavements, open spaces and along streets in the High Density Suburbs. Street vending survived not merely because it was an important source of employment but because it provided urban dwellers with inexpensive and varied indigenous goods. Now Government has started initiating for recognizing street vending in Kerala. Table 3.1: Types of the Occupational Distribution in Kerala Source: NULM report 2017 In a major move that will help street vendors in the state, the process of issuing identity cards to them has begun, as part of a project of the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). The Local Self Government Department is carrying up a NULM programme through local bodies to restore street sellers. The urban street vendors that are under businesses and municipalities will receive identity cards. The Kochi Corporation has been used to identify the vendors the most, followed by Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. In the process, the civic organizations serve as nodal organizations. The process began in 2014, and in March, the law was passed. The survey is still being conducted after completing its initial round. Based on the qualifying vendors identified by the survey, 22,000 vendors from across the state will first receive the cards. By eligibility, the aim is to identify those whose sole means of living is street vending. It is aimed at addressing the concerns of vendors by enabling them to access appropriate spaces for vending, facilitating access to institutional credit and social security linkages. Street vending is viewed as a strong link in the urban supply chain which makes goods accessible to all sections of society. The whole Types of Occupation Total No. Vendors (percentage) Vegetables 64(21.33) Fruits 72(24) Food 36(28.67) Garments 53(17.67) Others 25(8.33) 29
idea evolved on the concept that street vendors constitute a crucial segment at the bottom of the pyramid of informal economy in cities. It is viewed as a source of income through selfemployment and as a measure of urban poverty alleviation. “Low levels of education and skills, limited access to formal credit and microenterprise support constrain street vendors‟ access to emerging market opportunities. Being unorganised and self-employed, street vendors and their families often lack any linkage to social security, welfare and assistance schemes and other initiatives launched by the government, which makes them vulnerable,” the project preface says. 4. Design and methods The study was mainly based primary data. Primary data were collected from 30 street vendors from Wadakkanchery municipality. The secondary data have been collected from the annual report ,periodicals, journals, magazines, text books, news papers and websites so on. For the primary data collection personal interview was done with the help of well structured questionnaire. For the interpretation ,tools like table, charts and diagrams are used. 5. socio – economic condition of street vendors in Wadakkanchery area. The data collected from 30 street vendors. It helps to find out the economic status of the vendors, and also problems faced by the street vendors. Table 5.1 Age wise classification of street vendors Age group Number Percentage Below 30 0 0 30-40 15 50 41- 60 11 37 Above 60 4 13 Total 30 100 Source: field survey Among the respondents majority are from the age group of 30-40. It implies adults are the main workers in this field. The figures corresponding to this age group are 50%.Middle aged people constitutes 37%.Only 13% constitutes Above 60 category. It implies adults are the main workers in this field.Table 5.2. Educational Qualification Category Numbers Percentage Illiterates 3 10 Primary 12 40 Secondary 4 13 HSE 8 27 Degree 3 10 Total 30 100 Source: field survey Majority of the street vendors were primary educated and they constituted 40% in the sample. The illiterate category constitute 10%. The next majority was the street vendors with an educational level of Higher secondary and their percentages come to about 27%.The Degree holders constitute 10%. Figure 5.1. Economic Status of street vendors 30
In economic status , groups are classified as AAY, APL, and BPL. Majority of the respondents belongs to BPL category. That is 63% of workers and 27% of workers belongs to APL category. And 10% belongs to AAY category. Figure 5.2 Annual Income of street vendors Above figure shows that Majority of the street vendors have an annual income ranging from below10000.and the figures are 87%. Next the income ranging above 50000 forms the majority with 10%.. Table5.3 Type of occupation of vendors. Category Numbers Percentage Vegetables 7 23 Tea shop 5 17 Fruits 6 20 Garments 4 13 Food 2 7 Coconut vendors 2 7 Others 4 13 Total 30 100 Source: field survey In the above table the type of street vending classified into vegetables, Tea shop, fruits, food, coconut vendors, garments and others. Majority of vendors occupied in vegetable shops. It constitutes 23%. Another majority of street vendors engaged in fruits shop(20%) then, the 17% street vendors are engaged in tea shop. Both garments and others category constitutes 13% and coconut vendors and food category constitutes 7% Table 5.4 Details of Type of Vendors. Category Numbers Percentage Sheltered 13 43 Temporary sheltered 12 40 No sheltered 5 17 Total 30 100 Source: field survey Above table shows that Majority of street vendors were sheltered .They constituted 43 % in the sample. Temporary sheltered constitutes 40%. And not sheltered category constitutes17%. Table 5.5 Purchase Details. Below table shows that majority of street vendors are purchasing their goods from wholesalers .It constitutes 63 %.37% of respondents collected goods from agents. And no one purchase from growers. 31
Category Numbers percentage From growers 0 0 From wholesale 19 63 Agent 11 37 Total 30 100 Source: field survey Figure5.3 Details of Price Determination. Above figure shows that 54% of peoples are considered the market condition.33% of peoples are follow the category of pre decided by the supplier.3.33% of peoples are under the category of auction sale .And 10% of peoples are considered the bargaining at the time of single purchasing. Figure5.4 Facilities given by Wadakkanchery. In above the figure shows that more of the peoples are under the category of none, at 90%.Only 10% peoples are under the category of space. And the category of shelter had no peoples, at 0%. 6. Result/ discussion Wadakkanchery is an urban area, street vending is the one of the main occupation of the peoples. Traditionally this area is famous for street vending. In Thrissur district Wadakkanchery is a main vending area and it have more importance. Majority of the people are engaged in vending and allied activities. The present study tries to analyse the socio- economic condition of street vendors in wadakkanchery. The strongest argument is that the majority of the street vendors not get social and economic assistance from the government. So,they cannot improve their standard of living and economic condition. Majority of the vendors are males. This constitutes 73%. There was only 27% female vendors. Majority of the respondents are from Hindu. The figures corresponding to this category is 60% and nearly 30% were Muslim. Christian constituted a very minimum amount in the sample which was 10%.Among the respondents 80% of the family have 4-10 members. Only 20% of the family have Below 4 members All the respondents are Married. The figures corresponding to this category is 100%. Single and widow category constitutes 0%. Majority of street vendors were sheltered .They constituted 43 % in the sample. Temporary sheltered constitutes 40%. And not sheltered category constitutes 17%.Majority of the street vendors involved in this occupation since 3 to 6years. and the figures constitutes 53%. And 37% 32
vendors started their occupation below 3 years. Only one respondent have the experience of above 10years. Among the respondents 77% respondents considered street vending is the main source of income, 16 are doing other occupation other than street vending Among the respondents 80% of street vendors are working from 6 am to 9 pm.13% are working from3pm to 12am. Only 7% are working 12 hours. Majority of respondents did not purchase goods on credit. It constitutes 43%. And30% of respondents purchase goods on credit for one day. 13%of vendors purchases goods on credit for one month. Both one week and two week constitutes 7%. Majority(67%) of respondents did not make price discrimination to customers. And 33% of respondents do price discrimination to its customers. Majority of respondents did not suffering seasonal imbalance. It constitutes 73%. And 27% of respondents face seasonal imbalance. Majority of respondents invest in others category .It implies lending to friends, kudumbasree, chities, etc. It constitutes 47%. And20% of respondents invest their money in chities.. 17%of vendors invest their money in post office. 13%of vendors invest their money in banks. No one invest their money in Mutual fund. Among 30 vendors 4 persons are enjoyed the loans from banks and co-operatives societies. Rest of the 26 are not take any type of loans. Majority of street vendors did not get any facilities from Wadakkanchery Municipality .It constitutes 90%.Only 10% of respondents get space for street vending. Majority of peoples did not face any competition, it constitutes87%.And only 13 % of people had suffer some competition Majority of respondents have no union, It constitutes70%.And 30% of vendors have a union in Wadakkanchery Majority of street vendors did not get any financial assistance from government .It constitutes 93%.Only 3% of respondents get financial assistance. 7.Suggestions For The Study Based on the above study and references, the researcher puts forward some suggestions for the improvement based on socio-economic condition of the street vendors. Women should be empowered in vending sector. Intermediaries should be avoided. Facilities should be provided for a better marketing. Govt. Beneficiaries and other stipends like loans and subsidies should be granted. Education relating street vending should be provided to the vendors. To ensure provision of identity cards Conclusion In spite of these concreted efforts of the government still majority of the street vendors are under acute poverty and deprivation. The needs of food, clothing, shelter, education and alternate employment opportunities are not accomplished by the vast majority of the street vendors. For 33
some it is a regular primary occupation while for others it is secondary occupation and a source of additional income. Some take up street vending on part time basis. Occasional vendors are also seen. Most work independently without employees. Some hire employees or have family members assisting their activities. References 1. Grace P. Perdigon (1986) "Street Vendors of Ready- to-Eat Food: As a Source of Income and Food for Low Income Groups" Terminal Report Vol 87, No 101, 1986, pp. 122- 126 2. Ma Patrocinio E. de Guzman et al., (1987) "Street Foods in the Philippines Health, Nutrition, Management and Livelihood Aspects" food and Nutrition research institute, Mania, Philippiness, 1987 , Pp 117- 121 3.Nidan (2010); “Study On Street Vendors At Patna (Bihar)” Centre for civil society(CSS), New Delhi. Study report on Street Vendor/ Nidan /2010 4. Dimas Harlan, (2008) "Street vendors; Urban problem and Economic Potential" Working Papers in Economics and Development Studies, Department of Economics, Padjadjaran University, revised in June 2008 5. Lund Francie (1998) “Women street traders in Urban South Africa : A synthesis of selected research findings” School of Development studies ( incorporating CSDS) University of Natal Durban September 1998 6.Ray S and K. Ramachandran (1996)” Towards a framework for a comprehensive theory of Entrepreneurship”. Journal of Entrepreneurship. Vol 5, Sage publication, New Delhi, Pp 1 - 22 7.Adhikari D.B(2011)”Income generation in informal sector; A case study of the Street vendors of Kathmandu metropolitan city .” Economic Journal of Development issues ,13- 14(1-2), 1-14 8. Bose .S and Mishra .Y (2013)” Notes on Street vendors in Kolkata. A review in Labour Law Journal 64.3 (Fall 2013) Pp 165- 171 9.Kulkarni and Priyanka (2008) ‘planning and Design Solution for informal sector: A case study of Street vending in Ahmedabad’ Planning dissertation, School of Planning. CEPT University, Ahmedabad 10. Kolli R(2011) “Measuring the informal economy; case study of India 11. Bhowmik, Shari K .(2005), ‘National policy for street Vendors in Asia: A Review’, Economic and political Weekly, Vol 40 , No. 22- 23, June, Pp. 2256- 2264 12. Anjaria, J.S, 2006, ‘Street Hawkers and Public Space in Mumai’, Economic and Political Weekly, May 27, Pp 2140 - 2146 13. Bhowmik, Shari K .(2003), ‘National policy for street Vendors’, Economic and political Weekly, April 19, 1543 - 46 14. Saha Debdulal (2011); “Working life of Street Vendors in Mumbai” . The Indian Journal Of Labour Economics, Vol. 54, No.2, 2011 15. "National Policy on Street Vendors – 2001" Report of the Ministry of Urban Development of Poverty Alleviation 34