Women, kids of Jenu Kuruba families face hardship at hamlet

Mysuru: Even as over four dozen Jenu Kuruba families moved inside the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR), charging the foresters with denying them forest land at Karadikallu Aturu Kolli Haadi, women and children are facing the brunt.As it is a forest area, they are exposed to risks, and left with no toilets or potable drinking water. Even though schools reopened during May-end in Kodagu district, children are not attending classes as there are no schools in the nearby areas, and toddlers are out of anganwadis. With a hospital located 20km from the haadi, those who fall ill are forced to depend on home remedies. With no electricity, they depend on tiny solar lights.According to the families, around 40 children and over 80 women are staying in temporary sheds since May 6. Ever since, the 52 families prepare food together and stay together in the sheds made of tarpaulin sheets. There are no secure rooms for women and girl children to sleep.Many young mothers staying in these tents are in their early twenties. They dropped out of formal education at the secondary education level due to poverty. Two young mothers, who wished not to be named, said their parents, being poor, didn't send them to study further. Now, the prioritiy for the families is land rights over any other facilities as land is crucial for their survival.Those falling sick are taken to Kutta PHC, 20km from our hamlet, in an autorickshaw. Children are not going to school as they are far away, they rued.According to them, the situation was also not better even in the line houses where they stayed earlier. "We don't have many aspirations as we don't know what is happening outside our world. The forest is everything for us," they said.Shivu JA, the tribal leader heading the agitation, said they informed the local schools that children will return to classes in the next few days. "When we were in line houses, our children walked 4.5km. This haadi is closer to the school," he said."We first applied for our land rights in 2010. Our right is still denied, leading to all these problems," he said. However, the forest officials have denied the charge.Sources in the departments of tribal welfare department and forest said the two biggest challenges faced by the tribal families are alcoholism and lack of education for children. "Activists also failed to help the tribal families in understanding the importance of education. It is given the least importance among these families. This must be changed," they explained.KP Suresh, an activist, said children missing education is a serious concern. "The govt has set up Ashrama schools in tribal belts. Tribal children must be provided good education in these schools. The govt must also address the problems at Ashrama schools," he said.KM Metry, a retired professor of tribal studies at Kannada University, Hampi, said the need of the hour is a statewide study of the status of tribal families, the status of their applications under the Forest Rights Act, and current challenges and possible solutions. "This exercise should be done in a time-bound manner to ensure that the challenges faced by the tribal families are resolved permanently," he said.