Amid decades-old neglect by the authorities, the Kani tribespeople from Puravimala crossed the Neyyar on Friday by country boats to exercise their franchise. But this time, their numbers and enthusiasm were low compared to previous times. There was an air of despondency among them that their vote would not change their destiny.
Speaking to The Hindu, 58-year-old Krishnanakutti Kani said nothing has changed over the past 50 years in the 11 tribal settlements in Amboori, which include Thenmala, Puravimala, Komba, Kunnathumala, Kannammammoodu, Chakkappara, Karikkuzhy, and Ayyavilakom, where people are still making a living as forest dwellers, despite the settlements being hardly 40 km away from the capital of Kerala. However, during every election, they would cross the Neyyar with a ray of hope that the election would change their destiny, he said.
There is no means for the people in the settlements to make a living. The employment provided to them under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the major source of revenue for about 1,700 people in the settlements and nearby areas, said V. Leela Kanikkarji, a 62-year-old tribeswoman. The remnants of bridge spans constructed at Kumbichalkadavu stand testimony to official apathy towards the tribespeople.
Sathish N., the oarsman in the boat that ferries the voters from the settlements to the booth, said it is only during elections that people from outside the world reach the area to understand the perilous lives of the people, who have to take a circuitous route of 25 km to reach the nearest town in the absence of a ferry during peak monsoon.
‘Lost faith’
The candidates of the main fronts have reached settlements ahead of the election as part of their campaigning. However, the people lost faith in politicians over the years as the settlement has only one government institution—a government lower primary school, he said.
Santhosh Kalathil, a tribesman who became a teacher, said now the people have started to compare their lives with the lives outside their settlements. This is one of the main reasons for the subdued enthusiasm among the tribespeople to exercise their franchise. For instance, there are 27 settlements near Kottoor, and almost all the settlements are cut off from the mainland as there is no proper road to these settlements. In the last election, around 64% of tribespeople had cast their votes at Kottoor booth, while it was around 55% at Podium booth.
There should be holistic interventions to address their issues. If only, these tribespeople are brought to the mainstream of society, said Mr. Kalathil.
