Chalakayam in the Sabarimala forests houses as many as 47 nomadic tribal families of the Malampandaram clan and the Tribal Welfare Department had made transportation arrangements for their 12 children to the tribal school at Attathodu till the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown came into force in March.
Lockdown woes
Attathodu, Plappally, and Laha situated in the Sabarimala forests too house 300-odd Malampandaram families. As many as 69 tribal children from these forest reaches attend the school. The district administration had made transportation arrangements for tribal hamlets at Ottakkalthodu, Pothinkuzhy, Pulimoottinthodu, Chalakkayam, Plappally, etc. to the school a few years ago. However, the lockdown has affected their entire routine.
Meanwhile, the Perinad grama panchayat, with the support of the Tribal Welfare Department and various organisations, has taken the initiative to impart virtual education to the children.
“The panchayat has provided two dish antennae at the Attathodu school. Anto Antony, MP, NGO Association, and the Youth Congress district unit provided three televisions and the Eco Development Committee (EDC) attached to the Periyar Tiger Reserve installed a dish antenna,” says Rajan Vettickal, member of the Sabarimala ward. Saranya K.P., instructor at the Attathodu-East community hall, and a graduate from the same hamlet, told The Hindu that the children were keen to attend classes on Victers channel.
Mr. Rajan said the children were being provided food under the Subhiksha-baalyom, Sundara-baalyom programme of the panchayat. An anganwadi teacher visited the tribal hamlets at Chalakkayam twice a week with her laptop to show primary school children downloaded content of the Victers channel, says the panchayat member. He said another television with dish antenna would be installed at the new tribal settlement at Valanjanganom, near Laha, soon.