The nation celebrated the elevation of Draupadi Murmu as the first Indian President from a tribal community recently but there was no way tribespeople who live in many villages in the Nilgiris could have witnessed the news, a moment of pride for them, since they still do not have power connectivity.
Nilgiris biosphere reserve of Tamil Nadu harbours six tribal communities—Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Kattunayakka, Paniya, and Irula. But communities residing in areas like Jogee Kombai, Chengal Kombai, Ojanoor Kombai, Mallikorai, Melkorangumedu, Semakorai in Coonoor taluk, and Anilkadu Village in Kotagiri taluk village are yet to get electricity.
Electricity and roads reached many villages in the region only during the past two decades. They still miss out on basic infrastructure including drinking water and sanitation. TNM visited Irula and Kurumba tribal villages of Nilgiris to understand how this impacts their lives.
On the first day of the visit TNM met Lakshmi, a member of Aalu Kurumba tribe in her thatched house, built with wild bamboo and clay. She resides in Anilkadu village of Konavakarai panchayat in Kotagiri. The monsoon had dampened the air and Lakshmi was about to prepare dinner for the family. “Three years ago I was attacked by a sloth bear during the night while returning from work. It wouldn’t have happened if we had electric lights,” says Lakshmi lighting a kerosene lamp. It was the deadliest encounter she had with a wild animal and the thought still sends shivers down her spine. Java plum ripens during the start of Southwest monsoon where she resides and this attracts monkeys and sloth bears, increasing vulnerability towards conflict with wildlife.
Laksmi moved to Anilkadu, located inside a Shola forest four decades ago. The Shola forest and the opposition of the Forest Department to drawing power lines in the region is the reason cited by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) for not giving power connectivity to the village. But the presence of Shola forest did not prevent the Forest Department from allowing road connectivity to a nearby privately-owned tea estate.
Tribal woman sitting outside in her newly constructed house
On July 15, Madras High Court disposed of a petition seeking to provide electricity connections for seven villages located in Coonoor and Kotagiri taluks of Nilgiris. In the order, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala observed: "the writ petition has been filed to seek electricity connection to the tribal villages of Kotagiri Taluk, the Nilgiri district, the assistant electricity engineer, Rural/Glendale has sent a letter dated July 3, 2019, to the village headman, Jogee Kombai, Coonoor, Nilgiris district, that electricity connection could not be provided as the area falls under dense forest thus erection of electricity grid was not found feasible. However, steps would be taken to set up the solar light through the Solaris company. The petitioner is, however, insisting for the electricity connection in the tribal areas. The documents and records show that apart from being a dense forest, it is such a hilly area where it is difficult to erect a new electric grid and therefore, electricity connection could not be given”.
The petitioner in the case and tribal rights activist JR Mani feels depending on solar panels is not feasible because the region experiences rains up to eight months every year. "The electricity board sent us a letter stating that all the seven villages mentioned in the petition are located inside the dense forest. But that is contrary to reality. To my knowledge, only three villages are located inside the dense forest and I can understand the practical difficulties of erecting new electric poles,” says Mani. According to Mani, Jogee Kombai, Anilkadu, and Korangumedu villages are located next to the tea estates. “The tea estates have electricity, road connection, and everything. But tribal communities are repeatedly denied rights to access modern-day necessities,” Mani said. In Mani’s village, Sengalpudur, tribespeople had to erect the poles and connect the wires when they finally received grid connectivity. “Officers and workers of the electricity board merely watched them working. Their attitude towards tribespeople is disheartening,” he said. A protest in front of the office of the District Collector has now been planned if their demands are not met.
Thatched houses without electricity in Anilkadu tribal village
The state government provides three litres of kerosene to every household through fair price shops. “We need this to light the stove and also for lamps during the night. It’s unsafe to return to houses after nightfall and we can’t step out of our homes to attend nature's call during the night,” says a tribal woman from Anilkadu village.
Interestingly, the government has given ten families that reside here gadgets like grinders, mixies and a television set even though their homes do not have power connections. “We have seen the collectors getting changed all the time. We visit the collector's office every time after a new officer with the same set of demands. I have lost hope that our generation would be able to see electricity connections,” says Rangan, who rears cows for a living.
Lakshmi, an Aalu Kurumba tribal woman standing outside her kitchen in Anilkadu
TNM reached out to TNSEB officials to understand reasons for denying electricity connections to tribal communities. “Connectivity has been denied to Anilkadu village since it is within forest boundary. Idukorai, the village next to it, has power connectivity. It’s true that it’s a long-standing demand but our queries with the Forest Department are still pending,” said an official based in Kotagiri. Erecting poles in hilly terrains is also a difficult task, according to the official.
Jeyapriya, President, Konavakarai panchayat is adamant about securing electricity connection to Anilkadu. "All we need is just four electricity poles to extend the connection from Idukorai to Anilkadu. I'm ready to spend my own money for this. Till now, I thought only a village in the panchayat did not have electricity and it felt like a big black mark. Nothing else would make me happy than getting the basic amenities to these tribal villages. We have already approached the Chief Minister. If nothing works out we’ll start an agitation,” she told TNM over a phone call.
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