CHENNAI: Pachaiyammal’s granddaughter will enrol in Class 6 at Kothandaraman High School in Uthukkottai only in June, but the 50-year-old from Irular community has already begun fretting over the child’s safety. “Until she gets to school, I live with my heart in my mouth, constantly praying,” she said.
Children’s safety is a major worry of all parents in Thamaraikkuppam tribal hamlet where 300 Irulars, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, who live in about 70 homes on the fringes of Satyavedu Reserve Forest, bordering Andhra Pradesh, in Gummudipoondi Assembly constituency in Tiruvallur, about 60 km west of Chennai. It lacks motorable roads and public transport, leaving only two options for school-going children — either trek for over 5 km a day, risking safety, or drop out.
The Kothandaraman High School, where children have to enrol in Class 6, is 5 km from the hamlet. A few students who have bicycles pedal for about 2.5 km to the nearest bus stop in Thombarambedu before boarding a bus to school, while others have to walk 30 minutes one way to reach the bus stop.
The return journey is more difficult, as they must walk back along a dark, isolated stretch of road near the forest. Summers are especially scary, as toddy season brings strangers wandering from nearby towns. Parents, most of whom are agricultural labourers or factory workers, are unable to accompany their kids daily. “I discontinued my studies as I was afraid to travel to Uthukottai to attend school,” said Nagavalli (24), a dailywager. “Had I been educated, I could have provided tuition to kids here.”
Like Nagavalli, many girls had quit studies due to safety concerns, and the trend continues even today. “My father has gone for work. He won’t be able to accompany me to the bus stop. So I am not going to school today,” said a Class 8 girl.
Non-availability of public transport and high travel cost are the main deterrents for boys who prefer to go for menial jobs to support their families after quitting studies. A recent study by the Centre for Child Rights and Development, an NGO working among students of the hamlet, has found at least eight students who dropped out in recent years.
It is not just education, job opportunities too have dwindled due to lack of basic amenities. While men manage to travel long distances and work odd timings, women are often forced to quit due to family obligations. “I used to work at a shoe factory nearby. I would leave as early as 6 am to board the company bus and return home only after 9 pm. Though I earned well, I could not spend time with my daughter, and my husband asked me to quit the job,” said Kanaga (35).
Connectivity issues have also impacted people from other communities, who live outside the hamlet. “We would get the opportunity to work in private companies if we had connectivity,” said Gunasundari (40), who earns a living from the VB-G RAM G scheme.
With a population of 1,017, Thamaraikkuppam is among the smallest of village panchayats in TN, which has 672 voters as per the latest electoral roll released after the Special Intensive Revision. In 2011 and 2016, AIADMK’s then ally DMDK and AIADMK won, respectively, while DMK won in 2021.
However, people complain that no party has kept their poll promises of better roads all these years. “No matter who comes, nobody remembers our village after the elections are over,” said Maheshwari, a resident.