For generations, this was their home: the Parappanpara region of the Meppadi forest range under the South Wayanad forest division. They seldom ventured into the plains, except when there was a medical emergency or other dire need.
But for a second time in less than a decade, the rains have shaken the tranquility of their lives. And the deluge of the past fortnight might well be the last rains the reclusive Chola Naikar will experience as true forest dwellers as most the 42-member tribe have decided to leave their forest home.
Lacking basics
For the tiny tribal community, life has been close to the urbanised plains but far from all that it offered. Though they live close to the town — Vaduvanchal town is just 10 km from their Parappanpara settlement — it is a three-hour trek through the forest path to reach the town.
The tribal settlement falls under the Mupainadu gram panchayat and comprises of 12 men,17 women and 13 children. Cheriya Velutha, 71, is the chieftain of the settlement. They have traditionally collected minor forest produce, such as honey, which they brought into town to sell. In turn, they bought essentials and returned, happy in their green abode.
But not any more.
They were living in caves till 2009, when heavy rains forced them to move to out. They were bundled into make-shift tenements and have been living there ever since.
But landslips following last month’s torrential rains, tore away parts of the hills that housed the settlement. Life took another churn for them when parts of the hills to which these tenements came apart in the rains. As many as 12 families of the settlement were shifted to a relief camp at Kadassery near Vaduvanchal on August 17. When the rains ceased, the younger members of the tribe decided that enough was enough. They reached out to the district authorities with a request to be that they be relocated outside the forest.
“The life inside the forest is miserable beyond your imagination and with the kind of rains we saw last week, we cannot survive here,” Sreeja, a member of the tribe told The Hindu. She listed the several missing amenities including as she reeled out the many absences in their lives, like schools, hospitals and other basic infrastructurefacilities. In a State that boasts of 100% literacy, Sreeja has only completed She has studied up to class 5.
Although 13 children had been enrolled at the Model Residential school for Kattuanaika tribal children at Kalloor this year, four of them dropped outhad stopped going to school. “If we are relocated outside the forest, we can at least provide education to our children,” said Cheriya Mini, who has studied up to Class four.
But, it has not been easy for the younger members of the community to convince the push the entire hamlet to take plunge.
At the oorukkootom (meeting of the entire community) held at Kadassery on Saturday morning, 10 out of 12 families agreed to leave forest and start a new life at Vattathuvayal.
Chieftain Cheriya Velutha was among those not ready to move out. “We cannot leave our gods inside the forest and our forefathers who are sleeping in the graveyards of the settlement,” he told The Hindu.
Earlier this week, Wayanad District and Sessions judge V. Vijayakumar had convened a joint meeting of the tribal members, revenue and forest officials and the grama panchayat members on Wednesday to discuss their rehabilitation. He decided to assign one acre of land on the fringes of the forest at Vattathuvayal to each family, and construct houses for them.
“We have identified the land and the panchayat would construct houses for them by the end of March. We will give them all facilities such as drinking water and power,” Mupainadu panchayat president R. Yamuna said.
Till their new homes are ready, the community will stay at the would be put up at a temporary shelter at Kadasserytill the constructions would be completed, chairman of the panchayat welfare standing committee Yahyakhan Thalakkal of the panchayat said.
All the forest rights of the tribal community including the right to collect minor forest produce and fishing in Chaliyar river would be protected, he said, adding that efforts were still on to convince the two remaining families, including that of Cheriya Velutha, to move out.
“We are hopeful that they too would agree move out,” he said.