ABSTRACT
The life of the South Indian villager can be seen as a progression along a pathway leading from one locale or one stage of development to the next. In terms of ecological relationships, the South Indian world view provides a major impetus for the establishment of systematic and organized patterns of interaction with the environment. The South Indian world view can be seen as a steady force which ensures that the social and environmental relationships characteristic of each community are derived from the same master plan, the master plan itself is often modified in particular villages. The South Indian view of life appears to be more ecologically or systems oriented than the traditional Western view. When the government built railroads, it became responsible for the welfare of the Lambadis, whose traditional occupation had been the transportation of salt and other goods from place to place.
