Kollengode is one of the major towns in Kerala’s Palakkad district. Palakkad, the nearest railway station, is 19 kilometres away, and buses run along the Thrissur-Pollachi route. The culture here is a combination of Tamil and Malayalam, as seen by the fact that people speak both languages. The following is a summary of data from a Kerala government report. People from the Eravallan community lived in the tribal settlement we visited.

Eravallans

The Eravallans are inhabitants of the Palghat District, settled in the low-lying lands adjoining the high mountains. In Malayalam, they speak a rudimentary dialect of Tamil. They are either agriculturists or farm laborers. A few own land that they cultivate successfully. They were animists and totemists of the highest order. They celebrate Onam, Vishu, and Mattu Pongal festivals. According to the 2011 census, their population was estimated to be 4,797.

Minutes of the meeting

After lunch, the interactive session began. We conducted a formal meeting with representatives from their welfare organisations once the crowd had arrived. The conference was presided over by one of their welfare organization’s leaders, and RJ Manu was honoured as the meeting’s principal guest. The native speakers, particularly Madhavettan, assisted us in comprehending their current difficulties and the problems that the people who live there face. They also shared their negative experiences with other non-profits that provided charitable services.

They’ve been on a hunger strike for the past four months, demanding that their certificates be reissued, ensuring that they are members of the tribal community and may take use of the benefits offered to them. Sparsham extended every assistance within our means by expressing our support for their efforts. RJ Manu gave an energising address in which he mentioned prominent members of the tribal groups.

Sparsham was represented by Sayuj, Nithun, Prajesh, and Vishnu, who delivered information about Sparsham as well as discussing numerous themes such as the necessity of sanitary settings. Education’s significance for future generations was also emphasised. We are pleased that all the children in the settlement are enrolled in school, with a few of them also attending college.

The event was hosted in a tiny hall that is utilised for a variety of activities, including weddings, but lacks restroom facilities. They also requested that awareness programmes be held in addition to assisting them in arranging restroom facilities. In response to these requests, Sayuj stated that he will send them to the Executive Committee (EC) for consideration, and that they will act on them based on the EC’s decision. The meeting came to a close with a vote of gratitude for the chairperson.

Many thanks and Hugs!

Thank you to Madavettan and other tribe leaders for allowing us to stand with the community and for providing a lovely lunch. Thank you to R.J. Manu of Calicut for accepting our humble request and rescheduling his schedule to attend the event, as well as for his motivational remarks. Thank you to all our friends who aren’t Sparsham members but helped us make this event a huge success. Thank you to everyone who helped raise funds to purchase these products.