IN DIRE STRAITS: A woman with her four malnourished children at the publichearing organised by the Child Rights and

You (CRY) at
Denkanikottai inKrishnagiri district on Saturday. Photo: Special Arrangement. | Photo Credit: N_BASHKARAN

Survey throws up revelations about 18 tribal villages in Thalli,

Kelamangalam panchayat unions
Over 18 tribal villages out of 24 situated on the hills and its periphery in Thalli and
Kelamangalam panchayat unions are deprived of proper approach roads, medical
facilities, education and other basic amenities, says a survey conducted by the Child
Rights and You (CRY) recently.

The survey was conducted by the Rural Development Council (RDC), an NGO
based in Denkanikottai headed by Gowri.

On the sidelines of the public hearing conducted here on Saturday, Ms. Gowri and S.
Dominic, Manager, CRY, told The Hindu that the RDC worked with the
marginalized community i.e. Irular tribal women and children residing in and around
five hills in Denkanikottai taluk.
According to the survey, out of 1,394 Irular children only 83 are going to school.
With the intervention of CRY, five anganwadi centres were established in five
villages.

The children are ready to go to school, but they have to travel at least 15 to 20 km
from their hamlets atop the hills.

This was due to poor transport and road facilities, thus, violating the provisions of
Right to Education (RTE) Act.

The study with the support of a medical team on height, weight and nutrition aspects
clearly indicates that children between 0 and 5 years and 80 per cent of pregnant
women in Kodagarai, Thozhuvapetta and Kottayurkoil hamlets are malnourished,
look pale and almost 70 per cent of them are severely anaemic.

The main aim of the study was to mobilize community health care, reduce infant
mortality and pressurizing the government machinery to establish anganwadi and
health centres in the hilly terrains.
About 130 children and 20 pregnant women were screened by the medical experts to
ascertain their growth chart. The study shows that many children were on the verge
of death and malnourished. Eighty per cent of women and 70 per cent of children
were anaemic. The haemoglobin level in the students was only 8 per cent as against
the normal 13 per cent. Rampant child marriages is one of the reasons for
malnutrition among women and children.

In continuance of the survey, a public hearing was organised at a marriage hall in

Denkanikottai on Saturday.
The participating women and men vent their anguish towards the government and
district administration.

When one of the panel members Dr. Krishnamoorthy asked the villagers whether
they were ready to take up self-employment like collection of forest gatherings and
marketing the same to government agencies jointly, Veerabadran, a ward member of
Siddique Nagar, expressed his desire for the same.

Ms. Gowri said that the Kodagarai hamlet with a population of 1,500 was deprived
of health centre as the people had to take patients in a stretcher.

Many of them died on the way to hospital. Recently, a 23-year-old pregnant woman
Papathiammal of Kodagarai died on the way to hospital.
 S. Dominic said that “the tribal children are the most marginalized in Tamil Nadu.
Special attention should be given to meet the shortages. The deplorable state of the
child should be given immediate attention.”
First survey
He also said that this was the first survey conducted by CRY and the same would be
replicated in Nilgiris and other hilly areas wherever the tribals are living in large
numbers.
The other panel members were Dr. K. Krishnan, Executive Director, Aadhivasi
Solidarity Council of Vellore, Malar Amudhan, journalist from Chennai, and Jahnavi
Devi, Development Consultant and Family Counsellor, Thalli.
Panel recommendations
The panel recommendations will submit its recommendations to the government.

These include urging the government to intervene in the issue and declare the tribal
pockets as healthcare emergency region, need to strengthen health infrastructure,
special measures with regard to poverty eradication, special PDS package for the
region, and pre-school education with nutritious food for children below five years
of age.

Installation of special ICDS centers in this area would address the issue of
malnutrition to a greater extend; Implementation of Forest Right Act so as to ensure
that all the tribal families obtain 5 acres of land and help them to access the minor
forest produces; Special concentration on the school education should be made
possible.
All the children should have access to schools at their localities and promote tribal
residential schools in this particular tribal belt.
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IN DIRE STRAITS: A woman with her four malnourished children at the publichearing organised by the Child Rights and
You (CRY) at Denkanikottai inKrishnagiri district on Saturday. Photo: Special Arrangement. | Photo
Credit: N_BASHKARAN

Survey throws up revelations about 18 tribal villages in Thalli,

Kelamangalam panchayat unions
Over 18 tribal villages out of 24 situated on the hills and its periphery in
Thalli and Kelamangalam panchayat unions are deprived of proper approach
roads, medical facilities, education and other basic amenities, says a survey
conducted by the Child Rights and You (CRY) recently.
The survey was conducted by the Rural Development Council (RDC), an
NGO based in Denkanikottai headed by Gowri.
On the sidelines of the public hearing conducted here on Saturday, Ms. Gowri
and S. Dominic, Manager, CRY, told The Hindu that the RDC worked with
the marginalized community i.e. Irular tribal women and children residing in
and around five hills in Denkanikottai taluk.
According to the survey, out of 1,394 Irular children only 83 are going to
school. With the intervention of CRY, five anganwadi centres were
established in five villages.
The children are ready to go to school, but they have to travel at least 15 to 20
km from their hamlets atop the hills.
This was due to poor transport and road facilities, thus, violating the
provisions of Right to Education (RTE) Act.
The study with the support of a medical team on height, weight and nutrition
aspects clearly indicates that children between 0 and 5 years and 80 per cent
of pregnant women in Kodagarai, Thozhuvapetta and Kottayurkoil hamlets
are malnourished, look pale and almost 70 per cent of them are severely
anaemic.
The main aim of the study was to mobilize community health care, reduce
infant mortality and pressurizing the government machinery to establish
anganwadi and health centres in the hilly terrains.
About 130 children and 20 pregnant women were screened by the medical
experts to ascertain their growth chart. The study shows that many children
were on the verge of death and malnourished. Eighty per cent of women and
70 per cent of children were anaemic. The haemoglobin level in the students
was only 8 per cent as against the normal 13 per cent. Rampant child
marriages is one of the reasons for malnutrition among women and children.
 In continuance of the survey, a public hearing was organised at a marriage
hall in Denkanikottai on Saturday.
The participating women and men vent their anguish towards the government
and district administration.
When one of the panel members Dr. Krishnamoorthy asked the villagers
whether they were ready to take up self-employment like collection of forest
gatherings and marketing the same to government agencies jointly,
Veerabadran, a ward member of Siddique Nagar, expressed his desire for the
same.
Ms. Gowri said that the Kodagarai hamlet with a population of 1,500 was
deprived of health centre as the people had to take patients in a stretcher.
Many of them died on the way to hospital. Recently, a 23-year-old pregnant
woman Papathiammal of Kodagarai died on the way to hospital.
S. Dominic said that “the tribal children are the most marginalized in Tamil
Nadu. Special attention should be given to meet the shortages. The deplorable
state of the child should be given immediate attention.”
First survey
He also said that this was the first survey conducted by CRY and the same
would be replicated in Nilgiris and other hilly areas wherever the tribals are
living in large numbers.
The other panel members were Dr. K. Krishnan, Executive Director,
Aadhivasi Solidarity Council of Vellore, Malar Amudhan, journalist from
Chennai, and Jahnavi Devi, Development Consultant and Family Counsellor,
Thalli.
Panel recommendations
The panel recommendations will submit its recommendations to the
government.
These include urging the government to intervene in the issue and declare the
tribal pockets as healthcare emergency region, need to strengthen health
infrastructure, special measures with regard to poverty eradication, special
 PDS package for the region, and pre-school education with nutritious food for
children below five years of age.
Installation of special ICDS centers in this area would address the issue of
malnutrition to a greater extend; Implementation of Forest Right Act so as to
ensure that all the tribal families obtain 5 acres of land and help them to
access the minor forest produces; Special concentration on the school
education should be made possible.
All the children should have access to schools at their localities and promote
tribal residential schools in this particular tribal belt.
Sign up to receive our newsletter in your inbox every day!
GO

Related TopicsTamil Nadu

indigenous people
social issue
Recommended for you
Close X

Sidhu’s remark on greater cultural affinity with Pak than south India draws flak

Medics on mobikes provide SOS service for remote villages in Andhra Pradesh

Congress still in driver’s seat in MP; in touch with parties for ‘possible alliance’: Scindia
#MeToo: Mukesh Chhabra, Vicky Sidana, Bhushan Kumar and Ashish Patil accused

Bring on the sequels!

It’s a foggy autumn as farmers start burning stubble

In Ladakh’s Turtuk village, life goes on as it has since the 15th century

By extension: NRC for Tripura

Manohar Parrikar discharged, back home in Goa

India gallops towards series win against West Indies

Sidhu’s remark on greater cultural affinity with Pak than south India draws flak

Medics on mobikes provide SOS service for remote villages in Andhra Pradesh

Congress still in driver’s seat in MP; in touch with parties for ‘possible alliance’: Scindia

#MeToo: Mukesh Chhabra, Vicky Sidana, Bhushan Kumar and Ashish Patil accused

Bring on the sequels!

It’s a foggy autumn as farmers start burning stubble

In Ladakh’s Turtuk village, life goes on as it has since the 15th century
By extension: NRC for Tripura

Manohar Parrikar discharged, back home in Goa

India gallops towards series win against West Indies

Sidhu’s remark on greater cultural affinity with Pak than south India draws flak

Medics on mobikes provide SOS service for remote villages in Andhra Pradesh

Congress still in driver’s seat in MP; in touch with parties for ‘possible alliance’: Scindia

#MeToo: Mukesh Chhabra, Vicky Sidana, Bhushan Kumar and Ashish Patil accused