IDUKKI: At a time when the government boasts about a number of tribal development projects being implemented across the state, eleven tribal families in the Periyar forest area are living in penury for want of basic facilities for survival.
These families, currently staying at the Sathram Colony on the outskirts of the forest, are in a rejected state and are planning to return to the forest.
The tribesmen, who were living in the forest until 2000, were brought to the mainstream by some social activists in an effort to educate their children. However, the authorities in general were least interested in providing them the facilities for living. Currently, these families are solely dependent on social worker Lovely Jasmin, who brought them to the mainstream from the forest. As of now, the Periyar Tiger Foundation has been giving rice and the other grocery to these families.
“We brought them to mainstream so that their children would get proper education and they would get decent living conditions.
Unfortunately, even after repeated requests the authorities are not interested in implementing any special project for us. The Periyar Foundation has been providing 5 kg of rice and grocery to each of the families since 2006. However, without proper facilities for living, these people are in a pathetic condition”, said Lovely who is a teacher at the SSA Alternative L P School, Sathram Colony, Vandipperiyar.
The 48 members of this tribal group, who belong to the ‘Malampandaram’ tribe, make a living by collecting honey from the forest.
Though they tried their hand on initiatives like handicrafts it was in vain. Though the block panchayat constructed houses for some of the families, only a few are interested in staying there.
“We cannot stay there during monsoon.
We also do not like staying away from the conditions in which we used to live. We like being near the forest as it would help us in collecting honey. During the night, there is threat from wild elephants. The Government should consider our plight and do something for us”, said 55-year-old Chellamma, whose house was destroyed twice by wild elephants.
Though social workers have tried to enrol some of the tribal children in schools they rarely attend the school. The names of some of the tribesmen had been earlier included in the voters’ list and they were provided ration cards. However, they allege that ration shop-owners were not interested in providing them the ration on time. A ration shop owner even seized their ration cards and kept them at his shop.
“Apart from what the teacher gives us, we do not have anything. Even our lives are in danger inside the forest due to wild animals”, said 28-year-old Ramankutty.
Most of the tribesmen are living in very pathetic conditions, often without clothes, food and shelter. The authorities seems to be least interested in rehabilitating them. Even when promises galore, there is no end in sight to their worries.
