The Girivikas Gurukulam project that contributed immensely to assist hundreds of youth from the tribal communities at Attappady and Parambikulam to clear higher secondary education (HSE) and pursue a professional career has made yet another leap on Saturday when former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurated its new hostel complex for boys.
An innovative project implemented by the Nehru Yuvak Kendra (NYK) and the Scheduled Tribes Department, it is getting the hostel using the local area development fund of Mr. Achuthanandan, who represents the Malampuzha Assembly constituency.
The hostel was built using Rs.45 lakh at the project complex located in Malampuzha. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Achuthanandan lauded the project for empowering tribal people of the district and bringing them into the mainstream.
Tribal children approach Girivikas, located at Malampuzha, after they fail to clear HSE, especially English and Mathematics papers. They are put through a rigorous one-year training programme at the institute. In the last academic year, 28 children passed higher secondary from the project. .
“You can see the results. A number of Pubic Works Department engineers, assistant motor vehicle inspectors, school teachers, clerks, and police sub inspectors in central Kerala are former students of Girivikas,” said M. Anilkumar, district youth coordinator, NYK. “It is one of the few success stories among the government projects for tribal people in Palakkad,” he said.
In 2004, the State government allotted 1.5 acres of land and Rs.60 lakh for the construction of a Girivikas complex in Malampuzha. The project, which follows the Gurukula system of education, was launched by the then District Collector Ajayakumar. It was implemented by the NYK, mainly as a voluntary initiative of youth and social workers interested in development of Scheduled Tribes.
Apart from studies, the project aims at moulding the personality of tribal youth by inculcating in them the importance of vital aspects of living such as hygiene, discipline, and hard work.
“Clearing the higher secondary examination is a major hurdle for tribal students. The atmosphere in their schools, houses, and hostels is not congenial to studies. Lack of teachers in remote tribal areas is another problem. But two decades of the Girivikas experiment has proved that the tribal students are not behind in studies compared to others,’’ Mr Anil said.
So far, 1,200 tribal students have passed out from Girivikas, and many of them have secured jobs in government and private services.
