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Ethnicity of the Tiyyas and the modus operandi of major political organisations in
North Malabar
Introduction
This chapter attempts to examine the ethnicity of Tiyyas as a critical determinant in the
political mobilisational aspects of North Malabar. There is no overt attempt of ethnic
mobilisation of the Tiyyas as such by any political organisation to invoke the Tiyya identity
or to address the community as unit of mobilisation, but particular cultural and social
collective features peculiar to the Tiyyas are crucial in the everyday aspects of political
mobilisation in North Malabar. Many of these features are structured in the form of ethical
and moral perceptions and also incorporated by the other communities especially the
Mappilas of Malabar to some extent.
Particular collective behaviours associated with the Tiyya ethnicity are evident from the
social role of the Tiyyas in various organisations, especially the CPIM and the RSS. Kinship
like affinity has been exhibited among the cadres while hierarchy between the leader and
cadre is exhibited in the form of an ascribed brotherhood. Disciplining of the cadres and
elevation to leadership in many ways related to the social positions of the Tiyyas in the
present and at the time of erstwhile caste economy.
Patterns of recruitment are based of character traits such as the discipline, loyalty, courage,
responsibility, organisational capacity and leadership quality. These patterns vary in each
locations of Malabar with respects to the erstwhile position of the Tiyyas as well as the
particular situations. Courage and willingness of a Tiyya is appreciated in the general
situation of the CPIM in North Malabar where the cadres have more opportunity to exhibit
intellectual and organisational capabilities, while in South Malabar, especially in Malappuram
district, the party demands its cadres to be passive and unresponsive to many challenges from
the opposition.

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The particular subjectivities and collective behaviour ensemble in Tiyya identity in the form
of altruistic and selflessness patterns have been capitalised by the CPIM and the RSS.
Selflessness is an important attribute exhibited by of all Tiyyas active in the CPIM and the
RSS from the level of cadres to the leadership. The duty and responsibility of a comrade or a
swayamsevak has been emphasised routinely in almost all aspects of social and
organisational aspects. Being loyal and subordinate to the organisation and rise up to the
situation to take the challenge and responsibility is culturally rooted and historically
embedded with the legacy of chekavas and martial tradition.
The neo Kshatriya ascription of the Tiyyas is also operative in subtle methods of ideology
and identity interplays. According to a saying in North Malabar the wisdom of a Tiyya rests
his hand which indicates to the tendency of the Tiyyas to take arms and settle disputes in a
duel or group fight. Craftsmanship and expertise in skilled and semi skilled labour also make
this saying valid.
Participation of the Tiyyas in the CPIM and the RSS represents various complexities and
social identity crisis faced by the community while assimilated to the Hindu religion, a
process which started from the pre modern period and culminated very recently after the
independence and formation of Kerala state. The role of Tiyyas in the social hierarchy of the
region and the relation with other communities especially towards the Mappilas are not well
articulated in the forms of ethnic or caste mobilisation of the Tiyyas despite the nominal
attempts of the Tiyya Mahasabha, but various traits of Tiyyan attributes related to identity and
status are interplaying along with the localised version of political ideologies.