E.M. MANOJ
KALPETTA
For the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) such as Kattunayakkans, the forest is their home. They roam free its large swaths during the day, collecting minor forest produce and rest in their small huts made of bamboo and mud at night.
A group of tribespeople, who were rehabilitated from the Kommanchery forest of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary around seven years ago, now say their life in the forest was much better.
The 14 members of the group say they feel strange, rather orphaned, being out of the forests and living in the severely inadequate Kombanmoola settlement on the fringes of the sanctuary.
“Our forest life was far better than the life now,” says Gopi, 56, the chieftain of the settlement.
Mr. Gopi says his tribe was enticed into taking up the rehabilitation offer that had on the platter houses for them, education for their children, and job opportunities for the youths. But seven years later, the four families at the settlement still shelter themselves in one temporary hut built from pieces of tin sheets and low quality plastic sheets on the fringes of the sanctuary.
When the six families had relocated, six temporary tents were put up for them. Two of the families left the settlement two years ago owing to the wretched conditions there. Now, the remaining families are forced to stay in a single dilapidated hut as they fear that the other huts may collapse any moment.
Basic amenities such as drinking water, toilet, medical facilities, power connection and roads remain a distant dream for the tribespeople, including eight children between the ages of 3 and 15. Five of them are studying at the Chenad Government School, but many a time, the children join their parents in collecting forest produce, adding to the family’s income.
“As nobody calls us for daily work, the free ration is the only way for us to make ends meet”, Mr. Gopi said.
A few weeks ago, Mini’s hut was destroyed in heavy summer rain and the woman and her three children stayed for two weeks in a nearby cattle shed, says Kunhimuhammed Thottakkara, a tribal activist.
“Our ancestors had been residing in the forest at Kommancherry for the past many generations, but we are yet to get any benefit of the Forest Rights Act”, says Mini.
Though the PVTG group was relocated to Kombanmoola, the authorities failed to provide the possession certificate as stipulated under the Act. Hence, the landless tribal families are unable to apply for a house under various schemes of the government, Mr. Kunhimuhammed said.
