Hailing from a family of nomadic fortune-tellers, the tribal boy K. Ravi, 17, has emerged as school topper of Tiruparankundram Government Higher Secondary School government in the Class 12 examinations.
A history student, Ravi has scored 544 marks out of 600. His parents A .Kannan, 40, and K .Jaya, 38, travel across Tamil Nadu telling fortunes using the traditional ‘kudukuduppu’ for their livelihood.
“Poverty and pandemic turned out to be my two biggest challenges. When schools remained shut due to COVID-19, it was very hard trying to get access to smartphones with good network connectivity. With no electricity supply at my home, I spent at least three hours studying at my uncle’s house. It was only due to the constant support and motivation given by my school teachers I could achieve this feat,” Ravi told The Hindu.
His uncle MR Murugan, 49, stated that Ravi had always been the studious kind. “Not many in our community (Kattunayakans) are able to complete Class 12 and only very few pursue college education.”
When asked about his ambition, Ravi was quick to reply, “I want to become an IAS officer so that I can serve many other fellow tribals who still struggle for basic rights. As a first step, I want to study History during undergraduation.”
Incidentally, Ravi is a cousin of G. Dhevayani who also topped her class two years ago scoring 500 marks out of 600 in Class 12 examinations. Dhevayani shot to fame after The Hindu featured her in July 2020. Consequently, many houses in the tribal settlement were given electricity connection and philanthropists came forward to sponsor her college education. She aspires to become a banker and is pursuing B Com at Fatima College in Madurai.
“Out tribal settlement gained spotlight because of The Hindu’s news story on Dhevayani. Many families here got electricity connection at their houses for the very first time. We motivated Ravi by telling how excellence in academics can bring the change that we have been fighting for years in overnight’s time,” Murugan said.
