Tamil Nadu election: People's Party of India -Secular to focus on education

CHENNAI: Adult literacy programmes are the need of the hour, says the People's Party of India (Secular), which is currently conducting programmes in six districts of Tamil Nadu.
The party, which aims at fielding 173 candidates in alliance and 31 candidates from its own ranks in the assembly election, said its focus is adult literacy and children's dropout prevention among SC/ST minority communities.
Working in districts like Chennai, Vellore, Salem, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Trichy and Cuddalore, the PPI has helped 340 child dropouts pursue their education, says PPI member Suresh Kaani , who is the first person to get a PhD in his Kaani tribe - a ST community that has its roots in outlying areas of Nagercoil.
Traditionally engaged as farm labourers, Kaani says many members of his community fail to complete even Class 10. "To move away from jobs that society assigns for certain communities, education is the biggest emancipator."
PPI is also trying to get micro-financing for manual scavenging communities in districts like Kancheepuram and Vellore so that they can set up small-scale businesses.
"Even today when there is a blockage in a drain, they call us. We work as sweepers under a contractor with the local corporation. They've labelled us for this work - and despite getting an education and college degree - in close-knit places like Cuddalore where everyone knows us our caste, no one is willing to give us a job. So with this micro-financing initiative we are hoping to set up businesses for the community that is unrelated to scavenging," said PPI member Praveen Kumar.
Another initiative of the PPI is building toilets for scavenging communities. "It will surprise many people that despite being engaged day in day out in cleaning other people's toilets, we don't have decent toilets or proper drainage. So our first focus is building toilets for 150 families," Kumar added.