TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME(TDP) 2010-2020
This programme has been started in 2010 as special and specified project with activities such crèche & educational centre function, solar lights provision, housing and housing patta issues, Lemon grass oil units/ IGP supports, retrieving tribe from caves/risk places and rehabilitation. Although ROSI Foundation has been taking major role by its continuation works since the last 7years for the tribal of Sirumalai and PALANI Hills on Human rights, community certificate issues, solar lights provision, ration card and voter ID obtaining, MFP (Minor Forest Produces) and other issues based activities.
Present condition of tribe
Tribe (Paliyan and Malaisar sub-caste) community in Sirumali Hills and Palani Hills of Dindigul dist, Theni district,Madurai District,Thirupur District,Coimbatore District, Tirunelveli district and Virthunagar district is under risk of life. They are still in to interior forest and risk area without any basic amenities. Several of them are still into forest (in to Caves) and dense forest. Road, education, health, electricity, drinking water, etc are not reached them yet. Several of them do not come in to Indian population census and voter list.
Very often they are being attacked and the women are sexually abused by non-tribe people. Without house, basic amenities and livelihoods, they are often shifting their habitation in the hills searching water, MFP (Minor Forest Produces) and safe place from severe Weather condition and wild animal problem. In the migration,Women and children are severely affected. The children can’t go to school and education.
Tribe family still in to dense forest and risk life without basic needs and amenities.
Educational Centre Function
The support protects poor tribal children from starvation and provides them education and health care.
Tribe children in Sirumalai Hills, Dindigul district Tamilnadu. The area is inaccessible because of no roads and wild animals. No school/crèche within 14 km radius. Her parents do not have the means to provide even one meal a day to their family. They hunt and eat roots for survival. The child was starving and had no access to food, education or health care
The support protects poor tribal children from starvation and provides them education and health care.
Tribe children in Sirumalai Hills, Dindigul district Tamilnadu. The area is inaccessible because of no roads and wild animals. No school/crèche within 14 km radius. Her parents do not have the means to provide even one meal a day to their family. They hunt and eat roots for survival. The child was starving and had no access to food, education or health care
ROSI’s EDUCATIONAL HOME in SIRUMALAI. Chennai High Court Justice Hon'ble Mr.Akbar Ali and District Forest Officer With Our Home Children.
Tribal Issues and Legal Support
1.First IssueOn 24.09.2009 at Velampannai (Tholukkadu) village, Mr. Antisamy S/O Palanisamy, a tribal was attacked severely by a gang of three persons, known as Velli S/O Arul, Ganesan S/O Govindan and Ganesan S/O kuppusamy who are non-tribal and upper caste dominated in population, political and economical. Immediately petition was dropped to Police station (E-1, Taluk Police station, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu). No action by case registration and accused arrest were happened. But the police abused and beat the affected petitioner Mr. Antisamy.
In the condition of petition dropped, the above accused people are angered and grouped with several people and they attacked Mr. Alagarsami, a tribal by knife and using other weapons. The group was with six members and the name was known as Mr. Vanaraju, his son Rajesh, Chinnu, his son Venket and another two persons (name not known). They were with knife, stick and other weapons and threatened that the all 21 families should be vacated the villages and habitation as immediate, other wise the all huts will be fired and the members will be killed. No land and house for PAIYAN (tribe) and honey and VALLI roots are only to them and so all should be go to caves and dense forest.
Following the incident, the all families escaped at the night time to dense forest and caves letting all things, land and cultivation and livestock.
ROSI foundation Retrived from the risk area and provided Rehabilitation and Legal Support.
2.Second Issue
ROSI FOUNDATION has been retrieving tribe from caves and interior forest and making temporary shelter with thatches roofing in relevant area. 19 families were taken to Ponnuruvi of Sirumalai that they are in surrounding caves and forest to Ponnuruvi villages. When the tribe people make the huts on 20.05.2010, non-tribe group made threaten to remove the huts at the areas.
Then the following agreement was made that three acre land was taken from the opponent parties and no huts were removed from the area. By the agreement, the land is come to habituate by tribe. Now 19 huts / temporary shelter exist there.
The photo shows the agreement made in Ponnuruvi in between non-tribe and tribe people.
ROSI Foundation chairman Mr.Palanivel is writing the Agreement.
3.Third Issue
Five tribe families with 26 members are living under a Tamarind tree with small huts in Kodairoad area (Food hills of Sirumalai west side). On 29.11.2010 night at 9.00 pm, a non-tribe person Murugan s/o Anti belonging to adjacent village (Sadaiantipuram-Nilakottai Taluk) and Backward Caste came and called her to come out, hen Ms.Pushpa (16 years) was sleeping in the hut with her uncle ‘KOMALI’, who is affected by chronicle disease. Remaining tribe people had went to hills and stayed in to forest for 3 more days for honey collection. In her refusal, she was taken to her in to forest and raped by Murugan. In the unconscious condition, she was let in to the forest. Then 30.11.2010 earlier morning at 5.00 am, her uncle brought her to the hut. At noon time, the all tribe returned with honey to their huts. In the knowing of the news, they became angered and went to the Murugan’s house and told to the local community Leader. But a group of 15 people argued and abused the tribe people. Then they returned to the huts.
The group came to the tribe huts with weapon and stone and attacked the huts, which were totally damaged. The all tribe people escaped with injuries in to the caves and dense forest.
we knew the matter on 03.12.2010 and met them if they were in to remote and unreachable area. Immediately we took Ms.Pushpa and two other tribe people to the police station, Kodairoad and petition dropped. Then cases 376, 450, 323, 324, 506(II) under IPC and 3(I) (xii) under SC/ST atrocities act were registered and so four offenders were arrested.
ROSI FOUNDATION is giving shelter to the all 26 tribe members and supporting the legal process.
4.Fourth Issue
Ms.Meena (28) and her family had been kept as slavery and bonded in to the forest by non-tribe group. She was faced abuses and sex exploitation in to the interior forest. Last year, ROSI FOUNDATION retrieved from the risk and rehabilitated at Pudur providing huts, lights, cloths, Honey bee keeping, Goats to and safe drinking water. But the above miscreants were disturbing her often in night time and brought her to their old habitat place on 03.08.2011. Next day (04.08.2011), she was found as dead. In the delays of case filing and the offender arrest, her father was supported to file case in High Court for direction to the police. It gave direction and immediately the offenders were arrested under the acts of Atrocities and force to death
Now the parents receive relief and safe accommodation. The case under trail will give punishment to the offenders, expected by all.
Solar lights provision
Tribal families in the Sirumalai hills and Palani Hills of Dindigul district without light and security from animals and outsiders are living. Their traditional occupation and habitations are destroyed and they have become refugees. They live in a state of constant vigilance
ROSI has been providing Ramasamy and his family solar lights. We have also supported and motivated them to get their legal rights. So far 88 tribe families were provided by the solar lights.
The families are been secured their homeland. Few of them having ration card and MFP card for collecting MFP and getting ration and are come in vote list. The solar light gives protection from animals and insects in the forest. Children are studying in the light and the radio gives news and knowledge about the outside world if the solar lantern gives electricity to function radio and cell phone charge.
Land and housing patta issues
In the matters, we have been organizing petition campaign, lobby/advocacy, legal cases and empowerment of the tribe people by training and exposure. 27 acres lands are now with enjoyment of the tribe people for housing and cultivation.
200 acres lands are to be taken for tribe people through various efforts and in the belief that shortly all tribe will get 2 acres land by each.Further a writ has been filed in Chennai High Court praying 5acre Land to each of 74 Tribe Families,SiruMalai Under Forest Dweller's act 2010 and is Still Pending.
| | |
