This is a letter of cause to all the governments and the organizations. Unemployed educated youths, terrible
roads, lack of transportation and communication, basic amenities and resources are real difficulties. An urgent action is
needed to rehabilitate them in order to save forests from vanishing. Education to them has become curse as unable to find
better opportunities. I request your attention towards their unemployment specially the educated youths who desperately need
jobs to fit their educational qualifications.
Kerala
Government’s commitment of education for all seems satisfactory as most of its citizens are educated. The major problem
with Kerala is lack of sources for employment. I visited a place known as Mukkali 75kms from Palghat to visit tribal villages.
I observed deforestation in these villages is due to lack of alternate employment opportunities. Forests are vanishing fast
(below photos explains my study). If the activities are not controlled, by 2015 half of forests will vanish. When I contacted
village dwellers their explanation was that they do not have other opportunities for survival nor does Government takes pain
for their welfare. Burning and felling trees to grow crops is their survival issue.
If do not grow they can not eat, therefore, I feel it becomes the responsibility
of Government or their human rights agencies to generate employment sources through forest assets or other alternates. I noticed
some facts about these villages.
Thadikund village 2kms from Chindakki and 4kms from Mukkali:
Each house in the village is facilitated with solar panel for electricity. I met head of this village who narrated the poverty
of this village due to casual agricultural profession. They grow traditional cereal, corn, mustard, roots and etc; etc: They
are unable to grow more to market due to lack of finance and other facilities. The facts about the village explained by Moopar:
Name
of tribe: Kurumbar. Village population is 150 Education of adult nil Education
of children mostly all children go to school. Living standard Live in huts made of bamboo and bricks. Government gives free
ration. Free ration alone is not enough to uplift their standard of living. They want employment so can generate enough money
and resources for comfortable living. Employment and resources: Casual agricultural employment is not enough for their survival.
Unemployment/ Medical facility is serious concern of this village, almost nil. 5 members of this village are seriously ill;
do not get any government help. Government hospital is 27kms away.
Moopar of this village appeals for help as:
1. Village people needs agricultural loan to buy cattle and etc.
2. Permanent employment and earning source.
3. A television in the village for current information and knowledge.
4. Medical facilities or doctors visit.
We
could reach Anavai village in four wheel jeep driven by 12 year boy (APPUS) through poor roads. Driving is Appus’s part
time job for pleasure during school off. How he drives without driving license is not my problem, at the same time I was happy
he was gaining both theatrical and practical knowledge. In this village we met Moopathi (wife of head of this village) see
the photo in this site. She runs a café in bamboo hut; we loved delicious tea with some eatables. First she did not open up
to us as we were strangers but after some times of cordial conversation she reflected the critical condition of her village
and its population. She joined by other educated up to 10th and some 12th standard, narrated that education
has not solved any purpose rather created only dreams of expectation of good living which were never met. They explained;
Governments are least interested in their problems. Politicians come once during elections to make false promises. In last
election most of tribal communities boycotted the election keeping in mind the humiliations and non performances of the political
parties. Moopathi
wanted me to convey her appeal to the concerned authorities that her village streets be electrified, a television for community
and better road. So, whoever reads this may please click her photo in the site for written message from her and come forward
to help.
Beyond
ANAVAI village there was no road and had to walk through dangerous man made tracks. To reach villages one needs to cover minimum
10-25kms, we had no choice but to walk carefully through steep sloppy tracks. During rain it becomes slippery and almost difficult
for outsiders to reach unless they have experience as the tribes have. I realized the problems of these tribes reaching the
market 25kms through these tracks. One picture I took which they demonstrated as how they carry patient to the hospital. The
panicking and steep tracks exhausted us and had to walk slowly in gaps. Before reaching village Thazhe (bottom) Thudukki village,
we halted near Bhavani river to refresh us so could get energy to walk further. Finally we reach the village in 3 hours after
covering nearly12kms. What I observed in the village is mentioned as:
Thazhe Thudukki/ Mele thudukki/ Galazy villages nearly 16-24kms from Mukkali and 10-20kms
from Anavai: Have
about 250 families living in these villages. 50 have completed 10th standard, of them two have completed computer
engineering and poly-technique. None of them has proper employment. I observed proper roads and lack of employment facilities
have curtailed their growth and standard of living. CHANDRAN of Thazhe Thudukki explained in writing (Malayalam language)
the problems they are facing which I have included in my site with the photo, can be viewed by clicking. I contacted moopar
of this village while discussing I could get some information which he said are as follows, also click the photos and video
clip links in this page:
- They need one low cost bridge to reach Mele thudukki and
Galazy. Presently they follow tracks and cross river. During rain it is dangerous. He admits Government has surveyed but how
many decades will it take to have one bridge.
- Employment opportunities to educated youths. Education
has not given any solution to improve the standard of living. Employment is dream for them.
- Proper roads and transportation. I feel it is must as even
to get daily necessities they have to walk down to mukkali nearly 20kms.
- Medical facilities: To reach hospital they carry patient
in man made carriers as shown in the photo, have to go through dangerous tracks and cover many kms.
- Most in his village wish to have a television common for
the village. Would help his community to be in touch with modern world.
- He was upset with Government agencies. He says no one approaches
them for their welfare.
- Moopar also realized de-forestation of many areas is dangerous
(as shown in the photos). He explained we are helpless; we have to eat and survive. If we have other alternate sources of
income why would we go cutting trees or engage in illegal farming? For us survival is more important than the deforestation
or illegal farming. Big politicians come only once during elections with lots of false promises and then nothing happens.
If Government had even little interest in our issues and problems at least some of these educated youths would have got suitable
jobs. He pointed me and asked, you say deforestation is illegal!!! But do you
ever realize that how will we survive? By simply making laws and declaring illegal, without realizing issues and problems
of a community, is corruption.
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