Though they were the ancient inhabitants of Nelliyampathi hill ranges in Palakkad district, the vulnerable Kadar tribal community is now getting subjected to alarming levels of demographic change as the number of male members is getting reduced to single digit in most of the settlements.
In Cherunelli settlement, located at the entrance of the hills ranges that house the famous Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, the number of male members has been reduced to nine while the number of females has been estimated as 45. The colony had 150 male members about 15 years ago.
In Pullukad settlement, there are eight male members while the number of female members is 29.
The situation is by and large the same in Karappara, Aditharanda, Ailoor and Kalchadi settlements, where alcoholism and excess use of tobacco are taking their toll on the life of the tribesmen.
Poverty
Livelihood destruction and alienation from forests are also impacting heavily on the community’s sustenance as poverty and malnutrition are rampant among these earlier honey gatherers of the forests of the Chalakudy river basin.
“The controversy over the proposed Athirapally hydal power project has brought the plight of the Kadar community in the Vazhachal region of Thrissur district to public focus. Now they are getting better privileges and their forest rights have been approved by the government. In the case of those who are living in adjacent Nelliyampathi, life is a constant battle against heavy odds including ill-health and lack of social security measures,” said village elder Ravi Mooppan of Cherunelli colony.
“The Kadar community in Nelliyampathi needs immediate intervention of the State government. With major plantations in Nelliyampathi are in crisis, the tribal people lost all scopes of permanent jobs. The forest is also inaccessible to them because of the non-implementation of the historic Community Forest Rights Act. There is no tribal residential school in the entire region to support the educational needs of the kids,” points out S. Guruvayurappan of Asryam Rural Development Society, which works among the Kadars for the last five years campaigning against alcohol and tobacco.
Arrack ban
“It was after the arrack ban in the 1990s, the Kadar community started getting exploited by the hooch mafia. Since then, their health is in peril,” says Mr. Guruvayurappan.
Most of the single-teacher schools in Kadar settlements have turned non-functional as the teachers are paid only Rs.3,000 as salary.
Demands to increase their salary have fallen on deaf ears.
