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News of Jan 1 2007
From despair to Hope
The Snake Catchers of Tamil Nadu
By Azera Rahman
Chennai,
Jan 2
Sporting
a new hair cut and talking in a mix of English and Tamil,
12-year-old Devi is one of the first few Irula tribals from
Nemilliekuppam village in Tamil Nadu to receive education.
One of the most marginalized communities of the state, the Irula
tribe are a small group of indigenous forest dwelling people
restricted to this part of the country, who have made a living for
generations by catching and skinning snakes.
However, when the Wildlife Protection Act came into force in 1972,
the economic basis of the Irulas suddenly became illegal and
punishable with a jail sentence. Hence most of them had to learn to
become farm laborers or do menial jobs to earn a living.
Needless to say, the tsunami further wreaked havoc in their lives.
After having been washed off whatever little they had, the 36 Irula
families of Nemilliekuppam, 50 km from here, were left with little
hope. Being a marginalized community and hierarchy still prevailing
strong in the society, they were not even a part of those who got
relief packages that came for the tsunami victims.
While the fishermen of Nagapattinam, who were the worst hit, were
given compensation, it was forgotten that most of these tribals
worked as daily wage earners to the fishermen and were in as much
need of relief as they were.
Herein came Action Aid, the International Development Agency and
Irula Tribal Women's Welfare Society (ITWWS), their local partner,
with whose support the 200 Irula tribals now have permanent houses
and a stronger lease on life.
They also started a 'Cash-for-Work' scheme for these people under
which they are required to plant fruit trees, learn the nitty-gritty
of farming and in return get paid for it. They have planted over 500
trees till date. Both the groups also put up a tough fight
with the government to get the children enrolled in a nearby school.
From getting caste certificates, ration cards and other types of
identity cards to putting the older children in smaller grades. They
did everything possible to get people's lives back on the path of
normalcy. Two years later, with the government taking care of the
school fees till the higher secondary level, these kids are now
happy going to school and studying hard.
"We believe that education is one of the most important ways to
empower and spread awareness," Krishnan, coordinator of ITWWS, told
IANS.
He added: "The Irulas have been denied their rights and one of the
reasons is that they were not aware of their rights themselves. We
hope that we can enroll more Irula children in school and ensure a
brighter future for them."
Devi is
among the handful of Irula tribal children from Nemilliekuppam who
are the first generation of Irula tribals to get educated.
"She is
an inspiration for me and for her classmates. In the beginning
nobody would talk to her because she is an Irula. But in two years
time, not only has she made some good friends but also excelled in
her studies. She stood second in the class and I am proud of her,"
says her class teacher Shamala.
While there is still scarcity of water and electricity in their
area, kids like Devi work hard not only to top the class but also to
help other kids in their village cope up with their studies.
"I don't cry any more because people call me an Irula. My mother
told me that there's nothing wrong with being an Irula. We are also
god's people," she remarks.
"I want to be a teacher when I grow up," she adds confidently,
before going back to solving her math sums.
IANS
News of Jan 1 2007
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