73-year old Mookkamma sits in habitual melancholy in front of her dilapidated house at Bonacaud Junction. Poverty, her ramshackle house and an unemployed limping husband weigh heavily on her droopy shoulders.
Both Mookkamma and her husband were plantation workers. With pending pensions from the government and delayed pensions from the factory they were employed in, it is no little effort that she has to put to make ends meet.
"The house has worn out due to heavy rains. It can fall on us anytime. Whenever we ask, officials say money has been sanctioned for renovation. But those have proven to be mere words. Our situation remains the same. It seems we will die before any money comes in. There is no end to our miseries, irrespective of who is in power," rues Mookkamma.
She is speaking from Bonacaud, a quaint estate village about 50 kms from Thiruvananthapuram in the shadow of the majestic Agasthyamalai and amidst the wilderness of the Paruthippally and Peppara sanctuaries.
Since the closure of Mahavir Plantations about two decades ago, the place has turned desolate. The factory's closure cast a pall of economic despair over its inhabitants.
The settlement huts of estate workers, Layam, has 120 families at present. The renovation of these huts is a long-pending issue.
These families once had members working in Mahavir plantations that shut down in 2000. They now rely on MGNREGA and state-provided rations for survival.
"Out of the 100-days wage employment, a family of two shares 50 days each. It is their main source of income, apart from the pension," said Valsala R, ward member.
'Basic amenities are a luxury here'
"No one wants to stay here anymore," says Mookkamma, her voice heavily tinged with resignation.
She laments the departure of her children Boss, Kumar, Geeta, and Biju, who left for Vithura and Ponmudi in search of better livelihood prospects.
Living in the midst of penury, election promises and campaign heat rarely create any ripples among the voters in this sleepy village along the forest boundaries. With their demands including pension arrears yet to be addressed, most of the former estate workers and their families are obviously a dejected lot. Yet with campaign posters and banners making it to a few of its nooks and corners, the estate village is slowly waking up to the poll fervour.
Despite unaddressed issues spanning over decades, the upcoming Lok Sabha election is gradually igniting interest among the voters here.
"I used to actively go for voting before, it is difficult now with my falling health. No candidates have come to meet us until now; they will hopefully turn up shortly, " said Mookkamma, walking slowly to the medical camp for general health check-up.
"There are no primary health centres. Vithura Panchayat hospital conducts a monthly health camp. Additionally, medical camps are organised twice a week," says Rajamma, a resident of Layam, unaware of the Sunday medical camp in the town.
"Basic amenities are a luxury here; drinking water is scarce, transportation limited to a fortunate few and internet connectivity is a joke," shares Alphonsa, another Layam resident.
'This misery should end with us'
The closure of plantation factories about two decades ago left the estate workers without wages and pensions, and many families have started to shift out of the area, looking for better wages and living conditions.
68-year old Lakshmi and Annapushpam await their gratuity and 36 months of pending wages from the factory saying, "This misery should end with us. Many families have shifted to Vithura due to lack of jobs.We are staying here just for the money. Candidates ensure they make us vote every time, but turn up only during the next election."
Aravindan, a forest guide, and his wife Selvi are yet to receive gratuity and pensions. "Our son Bajaj has moved to Vithura for work and he is settled there. Many families have escaped this place due to sheer lack of basic amenities."
A group gathers to rant against those plantations that were shut down through strikes.
"It has been 24 years since the shutdown of the factory. It is in ruins now. 114 days of protest at the Secretariat in 2007 helped us get a few months of wages after arriving at an agreement. It however stopped abruptly. The union protest was the reason for our plight. It has now left us without jobs,"said Karuppayya, recalling the protests that yielded meagre results, and saw them being left in the lurch both by their employer and the union.
Soldiering on
Bonacaud now lies threadbare, bearing long-standing marks of neglect and abandonment. Not only are their houses ruined, but the "closed down" factory too is in ruins. The unmaintained factory is now a source of income for some; some leave the place by stealing machinery that has fetched them no bread for years.
Padmini, a Layam resident, laments that her house's crumbling roof might not be repaired any time soon.
"Plantation Workers Relief Fund set aside 2 crore rupees for the renovation works of the layams last year. The work was to begin post Onam. Nothing happened. I had to dig deep into my almost empty pockets to fix half the roof. I will leave once I get the money," says Padmini, in sheer misery.
Despite the indifference of many Bonacaud voters who project hopeless despair, 80-year old Devasahayan looks forward to the election.
"I'm eager to vote. We need people who are capable of resolving our issues.The delays in government action regarding pension distribution is also because of the difficulty they are having with the finances," he said.
Like at many places elsewhere, some residents of the Layam soldier on hoping against hope...
