Bodhamalai tribals face 'uphill' battle to get basic amenities
NAMAKKAL: A loud silence engulfs the near-empty tribal hamlets at Keezhur, Melur and Kedamalai, broken by the occasional chirping of crickets and other creepy crawlers. Shrubs and bushes have taken over the small houses, spaces that once rang aloud with cheers and laughter.
“The light has been snuffed out of our village. The village used to be full of people, especially during festivals. To see it like this now is painful,” said P Madeshwaran of Keezhur, a tribal hamlet in Bodhamalai of Namakkal district.
Rows of locked houses and abandoned fields sum up the story of these hamlets, where the residents were pushed to the brink and forced to leave their homes due to years of neglect and denial of basic amenities.
Once home to hundreds of tribal households, the three hill settlements, located 4-6km apart, stand largely deserted today, reflecting how the prolonged absence of schools, healthcare and essential services pushed residents out. Locals recall that the hamlets had over 700 families and more than 2,500 people. Today, barely 50 to 60 people remain.
Education was among the earliest breaking points. Keezhur and Kedamalai had only elementary schools up to Class 5, forcing families to relocate once children were to be enrolled in middle-school. Children were expected to walk up to 8 km through steep terrain, taking more than three hours to reach schools in the foothills. While a few attempted the journey initially, most families eventually moved out.
The elementary school in Keezhur, which at one point had just two students, has been closed for over six months, while the school in Kedamalai has remained shut for nearly three years.
With no primary health centre or medical facility, patients were often carried downhill on cloth slings tied to poles. Residents recall instances of infant mortality and maternal deaths caused by delayed medical attention. Pregnant women now leave the hills weeks in advance before their delivery.
Further compounding their troubles, there are no fair price shops either. Keezhur residents depended on Vadugam for their ration needs, while Melur residents travel to Kullampatti and Kedamalai residents must reach Pudhuppatti for essentials. Bodhamalai was electrified only in 2012; yet some houses still lack power connections.
Ironically, the migration occurred despite families owning patta lands, homes and agricultural fields. Agriculture remains the primary occupation, but poor access forced farmers to sell produce at distress prices to middlemen, while milk could not be transported to markets.
In Kedamalai, where many huts now stand deserted, Perumaayi S said her children migrated due to the lack of facilities. "I stay back alone because I still cultivate on the land."
Ramani P, originally from Bodhamalai and now pursuing postgraduate studies in MMC, said the once-populated hills now feel "invisible".
Residents point out that while officials reached the hamlets during elections with ballot boxes, essential services never followed. Tribal activist T Ramesh said the migration was the outcome of prolonged neglect.
Project Officer (Tribal Welfare), Namakkal, B Ramasamy, acknowledged that the migration was due to lack of amenities and expressed hope that the ongoing ghat road works would help reverse the trend.
Residents note that while the ghat road is finally being laid, there is no clarity on if or when other basic amenities will follow.