TIRUVANNAMALAI: Three Irular girls from Tiruvannamalai, daughters of rescued bonded labourers, who cleared the Class 12 exams are seeking support to pursue their higher education. The girls, hailing from Dharapuram in Vandavasi taluk, currently reside in a home that was built for bonded labourers rescued from various locations.
One of the students, Kanniammal, her father Shankar was rescued by the government a few years ago and is working as a daily wage worker involved in felling trees. Kanniyammal pursued the computer science stream at the Ekalavya Model Residential School in Chengalpattu and scored 326.
She aspires to pursue B.Sc. in computer science. “When I was studying, there were no teachers in my school and one teacher from the 10th grade took all of my classes,” Kanniyammal said. Another student, Deepika, studied accounts and history at a government school and scored 316.
Her father was rescued from bonded labour a few years ago but has since abandoned the family. Deepika’s mother, Amulu, shoulders the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner, earning a meagre income of `60 per day as a daily wage labourer.
Lavanya, who pursued history at Thellaru Government Higher Secondary School, scored 411. Lavanya’s father, Boominathan, was also rescued from bonded labour a few years ago and now works as a daily wage labourer. She aspires to pursue a career in law.