By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Thiruvananthapura: The frequently heard Kerala model of development is nothing more than an hype if figures presented by the State Government are taken as an indication. According to figures recently presented by Minister for SC and ST Welfare A K Balan in State Assembly, the living condition of Tribals has not improved in lines with the state’s standards acquired in social welfare, education and health sectors.
There are 20,061 families belonging to ST category who are homeless in Kerala while 33,652 families live in houses deemed ‘inhabitable’. With 1,60,27,412 males and 1,73,78,649 females, the Tribal population stands at 3,34,06,061 in Kerala as per Census 2011.
The plight of Tribals in the state stands in contrast with the claims of the government and its officials, who have been boasting about the welfare projects like EMS Housing Scheme, General Housing Scheme, Integrated Tribal Development Programme and Indira Awas Yojana.
“These figures are a testimony to the laxity committed by the state while it comes to Tribal development,” said Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha leader M Geethanandan.
Geethanandan said that the figures may go up if a comprehensive survey is initiated by the government.
“All of the welfare projects, including the Land Reformation Act of 1969, have failed to address the woes of the tribals. Scheduled Tribes as well as Scheduled Castes are destined to be excluded from the development projects,” he added.
The figures go on to say that only 384 houses for tribals was completed in last five years. No house was alloted for Tribals through Indira Awas Yojana, envisioned by the Union Government to give homes for the homeless in the country.
Equally disturbing is the fact that despite the State Government launching a ‘zero landless scheme,’ more than 14,000 Tribal families remain landless in the state.
“Through the Antony- C K Janu pact of 2003, the government had ensured steps to provide the Adivasis with optimum land for living and farming. But the pact remains in papers even though several rounds of agitations were taken up by various organisations,” Geethanandan said.
The months long standing struggle, organised by AGMS in 2014 in front of state secretariat had also urged steps to give land for the landless Tribals.
However, the Tribals are now pinning hopes on the recent assurances given by the new LDF Government. In a reply to the questions by MLAs from various constituencies with tribal population, Minister for SC and ST Welfare AK Balan had said that 40,000 houses would be constructed for Tribals within next three years. A separate committee will be formed to monitor the problems of houseless adivasis. Besides, the state will soon submit a proposal to the Centre seeking Rs 2,193.37 crore for various tribal welfare projects. These include construction of more habitable houses for adivasis.