When Peravur panchayat president visited MGR Nagar, a hamlet of ‘narikuravas’ near here on Thursday morning to break the good news of their inclusion under Scheduled Tribe, many of them were aware of the announcement but not its significance.
B. Kottaisamy, the president, told the villagers that ST status would get them more government assistance and reservation in education and employment.
“We have been demanding the status right from the days of Indira Gandhi and MGR,” said R. Devaraj, district leader of the ‘narikurava’ community.
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About 120 families live in MGR Nagar, 50 in Paramakudi and 150 in Thiruvadanai in the district and about 300 families in neighbouring Sivaganga district. They lost their livelihood means after the Forest Department introduced strict regulations and levied hefty fines for hunting birds and hares.
“Our women earn income by selling beads, handicraft and fancy items in bus stands, railway stations and markets and the men procure raw materials by visiting Mumbai once in a while. Men too get into the business, especially during festival times as hunting has become risky,” Mr. Devaraj said.
They would be happy if they were given financial assistance or subsidised loans to develop the business. “If a family invests Rs. 5 lakh on raw materials, it can make 100 per cent profit but banks refuse loans for us,” he said.
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“Now, most of our children are sent to schools. While most of them drop out after Class IX or X, especially girls after attaining puberty, some enter colleges. Some private schools offer free education. After ST status, if they get scholarships and free tuition fees, many more will get into colleges and also study professional courses,” he said.
Gone are the days when they stayed in groups outside a village under tamarind or banyan trees. After the government allotted housing sites, they have built houses and some of them got ‘green houses.’ Mr. Devaraj said that they were called ‘Vaagiris’ and ‘Kuruvikarars’ and only MGR named them ‘narikuravas’ and empowered them with ration cards and voting rights.