THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: PV Chinnathampi and Maniyamma, a tribal couple who found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme in June for running a library 20km inside Idukki forest, face excommunication from their own Muthuvan community.
The couple along with PK Muraleedharan, who co-founded the now-famous Akshara library in Edamalakkudy, are camping in the capital city to escape from death threats. Their desire to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to materialise.
Maniyamma has never spent much time outside Edamalakkudy in 50 years of her life. She is under pressure because of various events that unfolded before her. The couple is living in the house of Muraleedharan’s friend in the capital city. “My daughters cried when we left the hamlet. But we had no choice as the threat was getting real,” she said.
An oorukoottam (hamlet meeting) headed by Edmalakkudy panchayat president M Govindaraj decided to excommunicate Muraleedharan for writing a book that allegedly showed the tribe in poor light. Chinnathampi, 77-year-old tribal, was also asked to leave the community for providing information for writing the book.
However, Muraleedharan refutes these charges. “I wrote the book in 2014 and it was well received by the research community. There was no controversy till recently when I started questioning corruption in implementing various schemes,” said Muraleedharan, who was instrumental in improving the basic education among Muthuvan tribal community in Edamalakkudy panchayat.
The couple and Muraleedharan have come from outside. Mankulam-native Muraleedharan and wife Radhamony were the first to come to Iruppukalkudi 20 years ago. Both are teachers of single-teacher schools. Maniyamma and her two daughters supported the family who was unfamiliar with the thickly forested area.
Chinnathampi, a Muthavan from Adimali, married Maniyamma and settled down at Edamalakkudy. Muraleedharan and Chinnathampi set up the Akshara library first at the latter’s tea shop, to help the tribal community to involve in learning as their classroom education usually stops by fourth standard, on the day of Pongal in 2012. The library was shifted to Mulakuthara LP School in 2017 when Chinnathampi was troubled by a series of illness.
Muraleedharan is yet to come to terms with the bitter experience he has had from a community he loved. “The people have withdrawn their children from the school. Suddenly, I have become an unwanted person there,” he said. His efforts have resulted in improving the infrastructure of the school. The school now has smart classrooms and a community hostel that provides food along with lodging to reduce school dropouts.
PAT FROM PM
P V Chinnathampi and Maniyamma found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme in June for running a library 20km inside Idukki forest