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9 Othavadai Cross Street - 603104 Mamallapuram - Kanchipuram district - Tamil Nadu - India
| Cultural
event Workshop and Exhibition "Irulas Culture by Irulas Children" by Elise Comte with the help of the ICD foundation  The
Company has been happy to sponsorize the workshop and the pictural
exhibition "The Irulas by the
Iruals Children"
managed by the french woman Elise Comte with the help of the
ICD Foundation.The project aimed first to meet some Irulas, to teach to children the usage of a camera and then to invite them to take pictures of their environment. The ICD foundation aims to bring its support to the tribal people, who are the super poors in India. The pictures are displayed in the entry of the Villa Manikandan Guesthouse (9 Othavadai Cross Street, Mamallapuram).  Click in the picture to zoom it. |
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| The workshop with the Irulas children | The
pictures
taken by the Irulas children | ||||||
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| Adivasi
Irulas Cf. http://www.itwwsindia.org/irulas.html Irulas are one of the poorest tribal communities with a population of 2.1 lakhs, concentrated mainly in North Eastern Tamil Nadu. Their nomadic life style has become impossible during the last forty years due to state interventions and the ‘development process.’ This has led to the eviction of many Irula communities from their native land. The state has not provided any welfare services resulting in the low literacy rates (less than 4%) and next to no employment opportunities. They suffer from social and economic discrimination and with low life skills they can just about make a living. Medicinal plants are an important and valuable commodity in the livelihoods of Irulas as they have tremendous scientific and commercial potential. But many species may vanish due to deforestation, over grazing and over extraction. Hence, there is an urgent need to document and regenerate adivasi knowledge of medicinal plants. They are traditional hunter/gatherers and are also known for their snake and rat catching skills. As members of a cooperative they extract snake venom and sell it to the state and individual conservation centres for the production of anti venom serum. Other sources of employment include food gathering, bonded labour in rice mills and work in brick kiln industries. In the coastal areas construction work (RS.150 to 200 per day), catching fish, crabs and prawns (Rs.150 per day), and other seasonal types of employment are available. There is also the option of inconsistent agricultural work (Rs.45 per day). All of these occupations leave little in the way of personal development and economic stability. Irula communities are involved in political participation through their local council. Irula community leaders resolve issues emerging in the community which is essential as they have been ostracized from the mainstream decision making processes, and denied opportunities to participate in local self governance institutions. They are denied all benefits of development livelihood opportunities, resources, and services from the state. They do not have a collective voice or representative to bring up issues relating to human rights, identity, and personal dignity. Key issues faced by Irulas 1. Socio-economic condition of the Irulas The Irula communities face extreme poverty with occupations and livelihoods being limited and a high percentage being unemployed. This is because many Irulas are illiterate and uneducated, and face constant discrimination. As the majority of Irulas rely on irregular and unstable work such as wood cutting, small-scale fishing, brick making and agricultural labour, the prospects of personal and financial security and well-being remain unviable. In many villages housing remains minimal with wooden shacks and huts liable to be severely damaged in adverse weather conditions. 80% of Irulas don’t have any assets in the way of land or housing. 2. Education, ignorance and illiteracy As the vast majority of Irula adults are uneducated and illiterate it is essential for Irula children to be allowed the opportunities of a formal education. Many families do not understand the values of education as it’s never been a part of their lives. Irulas who are pushing for their children to attend school face many obstacles. As villagers migrate the authorities make it difficult for them to attain Community Certificates resulting in the children not being admitted to school and not able to take exams. A lack of money for uniforms, school equipment and text books as well as social discrimination within formal institutes remains to block their participation. 3. Health and Sanitation The majority of Irulas are malnourished, know little about sanitation and have no access to hospitals. This has led to many Irulas becoming chronically ill with the social stigma of adivasis meaning that medical services never reach their communities. Irula traditions and culture also mean that numerous villagers pray at temples instead of seeking medical advice when confronted by illness or disease. Common diseases that Irulas face include skin diseases, uterus problems, TB and kidney deficiencies. Alcohol is the main contributing factor to a variety of illnesses seen within Irula communities. 4. Environment and loss of forest resources There is a close relationship between adivasis and the natural forest. Due to forest conservation policies and environmental protection laws, the actual conservationists have been displaced and forced to leave forest areas. The Irula tribe is one of the victims within this process as forest resources are destroyed, they are denied the rights to collect minor forest produce, and their activities have shifted to unreliable coolie work. A concrete strategy to reclaim rights for adivasis will protect forest resources as well as promote conservation practices. 5. Women’s situation Irula women have minimal to no power in the decision making process and are discriminated and exploited at virtually every level of society. They experience violence within their homes and prejudice when entering local politics or community initiatives. The fight to obtain equal wages is accompanied with the struggles against sexual exploitation by landlords and upper caste people within estates, rice-mills, forest areas and house work jobs. Many women suffer awful health conditions as a result of early marriage and child birth and a lack of trained assistance being available. 6. Political sector and decision making Irulas and adivasis have little means to utilize their rights as they remain a suppressed minority. Identity cards are rarely held by Irula communities meaning they can’t vote in local elections and often don’t even know they have the right to vote concerning policies in their area. As there is no collective voice for Irulas they are denied land rights and basic services such as clean water, electricity, family cards, road access and health centres. Often, on the rare occasions where adivasis are appointed panchayat presidents, they are threatened, intimidated and forced to implement policies for the benefit of higher castes. Because of these factors many Irulas refuse to participate in local politics and don’t take leadership roles. 7. Tradition, identity, culture and dignity The traditional traits of the Irula culture and identity are gradually being eroded as their way of life is increasingly molded by the neo-liberal dynamics of modern India. Customary religious practices of adivasis are denied and ridiculed and spaces for adivasi community worship and values are diminishing. There is a denial of cultural rights and no push to recognise or revive traditional talents. Irula identity, only possible through self-esteem and mutual respect, is being lost as individual and local powers develop and expand to leave no room for adivasi societies. | |||||||
