VILLUPURAM: Entrapped in the shackles of a blue metal quarry, S Sumathi, an Irular teenager, spent four long years regretting that one decision made in despair — a Rs 10,000 loan from a predatory lender. A path of debt, one her parents willingly chose to make ends meet, robbed the young girl of her dignity, freedom and a normal life. Silver linings kept a cold distance from her misery, until one day, in 2010, when a non-profit organisation along with revenue officials swooped in with a safety net, breaking all chains.
Hailing from Melkalavai village near Gingee taluk in Villupuram, Sumathi spent the best years of her adolescence in captivity, yet her story is one rooted in pure fortitude. “My family was detained for additional labour at zero wages, despite paying the money back. We struggled to get out of the clutches of a terrible life that gave us nothing but agony,” recalls the 32-year-old woman, whose life took a positive turn later in the years.
Once the dark chapter of bonded labour came to an end, Sumathi received support from the state and voluntary organisations to rebuild her life. Holding the newly-found reins of her future, she embarked on a journey of resilience. A year later, in 2011, she decided to carve out a professional career and enrolled in the Anaethesia Technician course at the Madras Medical College, and worked in the city for two years. At a career halt, Sumathi got married and returned to her native village, but her zest was perpetual.
“Returning home did not mean giving up on my aspirations. I channelled my education and experience into serving my community. With the support of activists and officials, I formed a help group organising women from my village and leading the local 100-days’ work programme,” she says proudly.
Today, Sumathi equips others with financial literacy and employment. Over the years, a combination of welfare initiatives and community-based programmes helped her strengthen her family’s livelihood while also enabling her to emerge as a local leader. She now guides the Irular women from her village about the monthly savings scheme run by the self-help group. The group she leads has an average monthly savings of not less than Rs 1 lakh.
Additionally, she also works as a worksite supervisor under the government’s rural employment guarantee scheme (now called VB-GRAMG, and holds the dual responsibility of treasurer and accountant of the Village Poverty Reduction Committee. “In the beginning, whenever government officials visited our village, our people were hesitant to approach them or present their grievances. Today, seeing community representatives like me and the recognition our community receives from the government, people confidently put forward their demands and concerns before officials,” says Sumathi, who now serves as a vital link between government programmes and the people they are crafted to benefit.
Further, the onus of a greater community participation and welfare, resultantly covering a larger base is traced back to Sumathi’s leadership. Several families now have better access to livelihood opportunities, savings initiatives, and social welfare programmes.
“The residents of my village received the free housing scheme; we have learnt to save our earnings consistently through the SHG. It was only possible because one woman was helping us build better lives, and this kind of inclusivity only comes through tribal representation,” says K Kannamal (45), a resident of an Irular settlement in Melkalavai.
For Sumathi, the biggest yardstick of success is the change in her community’s confidence. “Being a minority, we, the Irulars, were neglected and deprived of education and employment opportunities for generations. After a few years of accessing these facilities, we began to identify schemes designed for us. All the children in the village attend school and now we want to send them for higher education too,” she says, with a lot of hope.
Sumathi is a leader who wasn’t born, but made. Her journey steered her to lead grassroots institutions, and today Sumathi is the pilot with the impetus for the next tribal generation in her village.
(Edited by Jotsna Bellani)