Life was a struggle for V. Shinu, who joined the government service as Special Tahsildar in charge of land acquisition for the National Highway in the Kasaragod collectorate recently.
A member of Urali, a tribal community from a small hamlet at Vanchivayal inside the Periyar Tiger Sanctuary in Idukki, his childhood was spent in a thatched house with no electricity. He walked through a treacherous forest road to school, encountering wild animals in between.
Mr. Shinu had initially joined a tribal school. Later, his parents got him admitted to a private school. However, the management asked him to leave the school saying that they expected 100% results in the Class X examinations, to which he might be a hurdle.
