Kancheepuram - Nearly 1,500 Irulas from 25 villages around Tiruttani and Tiruvallur would observe fast in front of the Taluk office in Tiruvallur on Monday to protest the indifference shown by the officials to their plea for the restoration of lands. The lands were forcibly taken away by the landed people for agricultural purposes.
According to sources, the Collector himself, upon their request, had advised the block level revenue officials to look into the matter, but the officials failed to comply.
The fast is also to highlight the harassment and travails suffered by the Irulas of Tiruttani, Tiruvallur, Ponneri and Oothukottai areas in their attempt to get the identity certificates.
The Irulas charged that the officials were reluctanct to issue the certificates which would make them eligible for free education and other welfare benefits.
Chengalpattu - Development of tribes is a grand term. One might have grandiose visions of oneself filling up the expectant, empty, tribal minds with lots of wisdom of this world, to wean them to modern ways !
It may not occur to many that in so doing, they may be just over-writing a lot of junk on wisdom collected and handed down to a tribe down the ages. That they have managed to survive the hostile civilisation and lack of access to modern health-care facilities - is in facilities - is in itself proof of the practicability of their ancient wisdom - whatever it is !
That, in sum total, is the perception of Sidhamma who is running a one-person mission at Pudur, near Tiruthanai, for the Irulas.
This major tribe of Chengai district is known for its preference for the jungles. The tribes people can smell, identify and catch a number of insects and vipers and produce antidotes for their venom. It is a pity that there has been no government scheme which can gainfully employ their rare skill in the forest or in other development activities.
Sidhamma, who has been trained by CRY in developing teaching materials, believes that these people should not be bulldozed into uniformity by some overcentralised monolith of a development plan. She has been putting together a lot of information available still with the elderly men of the tribe and prepares text material displaying herbs, poisons, insects and antidotes. "There is much that is worth preserving," she declares.
She runs an elementary school for Irula children in their own colony. This tribe, notably, has very small, nuclear families; but at the same time, child mortality and other attendant ills of consanguineous marriages are also there. "A literacy programme ought to take into account such needs," she insists.
She has also drawn a kind of history and geography lesson for them. The history tells of the colonial times, when one brave Irula - Etti - footed it all the way to Kancheepuram where the Collector was camping, in order to resist the aggression of landlord.
A local map displays the outlines of the colony at Pudur, their forest areas and water holes.
Sidhamma hopes that her plan would win the approval of the government and enable her to compile a text which would preserve and document for the Irulas their own legacy, which now is fast fading.
Chennai, May 29 - Even as the government reaffirms its commitment to tribal welfare, it comes as a shock that the Irula tribals in MGR district, who strived hard to better their lot, are losing educational opportunities, welfare schemes. and jobs as they are not being given their community certificates. An Irula girl from Veerapuram village, B.Sarada, had applied for a community certificate in 1995, but has not received it yet, for a frivolous reason - "we have not got the government seal."
She scored 81 per cent in her higher secondary exams in 1996 and even got a seat for B.Com in Queen Mary's College. But she was denied admission because she could not produce her community certificate. Even this year, all the formalities had been completed certificates had been obtained from the Village Administrative Officer and the Revenue Inspector. As an additional measure the girl's father Balasubramanian had obtained a certificate from MLA A.S.Ponnammal. Balasubramnian, working in the Ordinance factory, Nagpur, says, "I have been running from pillar to post to get this certificate. I have even made a representation to the Collector. What is the point in announcing welfare schemes when we are not getting a community certificate that will give us access to these schemes."
Sarada's sister Nagalakshmi is working in the Oriental Insurance Company and yet another sister is studying B.A. Literature in Maharashtra. They also went through harrowing phases trying to get their community certificates. In fact, one sister could get the community certificate and was not admitted to any of the colleges in Tamil Nadu.
The non-issuance and delay in the issue of the certificates by the Revenue Divisional Offcier (RDO), has meant a loss of opportunities for several tribals living in and around Ponneri, Gummidipoondi and Thiruvallur.
A secondary grade teacher in Madharapakkam, Kumar, has not been regularised because he was unable to produce his community certificate. Organisations refuse to recognise the Tahsildar certificate issued before November 1989. A High Court order clearly states that all Tahsildar community certificates issued before November 1989 are valid, but this has not held good in practice.
Sidammal of the Bharathi Trust, working for the development of Irulas, says, "most of these Irulas have come up the hard way. They have managed to study after doing coolie jobs. It is unfair that they cannot benefit from the schemes. Here is a man who wants to educate his daughters but is being driven to the extreme."
In yet another instance M. Athikhan of Thiruvallur got a housing site under a TNHB scheme after a draw of lots. He made repeated representations to the RDO for a community certificate from February. But till May he had not got the certificate and his allotment was cancelled. Athikhan again has become homeless.
Then, what is the use of government schemes ?
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Dinesh G Dutt