There’s hope for the forgotten victims of tsunami

From catching snakes to going to schools, the Irula tribe has come a long way

CHENNAI: 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 marginalised 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 labourers 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 were left with little hope.

Being a marginalised 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 entered 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,” said Krishnan, coordinator of ITWWS.

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 enrol 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.