The government calls the planned November 1st declaration a “historic milestone.” The celebration will be attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and movie stars like Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Kamal Haasan. However, tribal communities feel the celebration is mocking their ongoing struggle to survive. They claim the campaign failed to help the poorest and most marginalized people.
Minister for Welfare of SC-ST, O.R. Kelu, declared Wayanad—a district with a large tribal population—’extreme poverty-free’ on October 25. But tribal activists argue that the official announcement hides the sad truth about hunger and homelessness there.
“Isn’t Keluvettan from a tribal community in Wayanad? Anyone living here knows our villages are still stuck in hunger and hardship,” said tribal activist Manikkuttan Paniyan, referring to the minister. “How can the government say they’ve ended extreme poverty when people here can’t even afford one proper meal a day?” asked Manikkuttan.
Activists estimate that 90% of tribal families in Kerala still don’t own land. Many are living in plastic-covered huts without electricity, toilets, or safe drinking water. They point out that even though the government spent millions on the poverty program, thousands of tribal children have stopped going to school, and many families still only eat one meal a day.
“At the Manikkuni tribal settlement near Sultan Bathery, about 60 families live in terrible conditions,” said K Ammini, a leader of the Adivasi Vanitha Prasthanam (Tribal Women’s Movement).
With input from TNIE
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
