Wayanad Initiative A Situational Study and Feasibility Report for the Comprehensive Development of Adivasi Communities of Wayanad (Submitted to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe Development Department, Government of Kerala) Centre of Excellence – Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode KIRTADS Campus Chevayur Calicut – 673 017 Kerala Tel : 0495 2355342 , 2351496 www.cex.ac.in email : [email protected] , [email protected] January 2006 2 Contents Foreword 3 Acknowledgements 4 Executive Summary 6 Chapter I Introduction 17 Chapter II Wayanad District: a Profile 23 Chapter III Adivasi Communities of Wayanad 34 Chapter IV Baseline Survey 48 Chapter V Institutional Analysis 101 Chapter VI Development Strategies 113 Chapter VII Budgeted Expenditure 174 List of Tables 176 3 Foreword The SC/ST Development Department of the Government of Kerala has entrusted the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) with the responsibility of conducting a research study (Wayanad Initiative) on developing a comprehensive development package addressing the livelihood, education, health and related issues concerning the well-being of the Adivasi communities in Wayanad District. I am happy that the study has been successfully completed at the Centre of Excellence , IIMK with the support of Government of Kerala. The Research team consisting of Prof. D.D. Nampoothiri, Dr. Suma Damodaran ( Formerly, Professor, IIMK) Mr. T.Y. Vinod Krishnan and Prof. J. Raghaviah deserves wholehearted appreciation for their hard work and dedication that enabled them to complete the study addressing a wide ranging study in a short span of time. The significant contributions of Dr. A.R. Vasavi ( Fellow, NIAS, IISc, Bangalore),as the principal advisor of the study is acknowledged. It is our sincere wish that the Government of Kerala will find the results and recommendations of the study useful for planning the future development activities for the empowerment of the Adivasi communities of Wayanad District. Dr. R. Radhakrishna Pillai Chairman Centre of Excellence-IIMK January 12, 2006 4 Acknowledgements Several individuals, institutions and organizations have assisted and supported the Centre of Excellence, IIMK in the making of this Project Report. At the very outset, let me profusely thank all members of the Adivasi communities in Wayanad without whose wholehearted support and indulgence, completion of the present study would have been beyond the bounds of possibility. In this connection I am particularly grateful to the young and enthusiastic tribal promoters, the helpful Oorumooppans and the warm and experienced leaders especially, Shri. P.K. Kalan, Shri Palliyara Raman, Shri. Kesavan, Ms. C.K. Janu and Shri. Edakkal Mohanan for their overwhelming support and patronage. I am thankful to Prof. A.H. Kalro, the previous Director of IIMK and Prof. Krishnakumar, the present Director for their support and guidance at various stages of the project. I owe a huge debt to Dr.A.R.Vasavi , Fellow , National Institute of Advanced Studies , Indian Institute of Science Bangalore , whose unstinted support , advice and care have been singularly decisive in the process of the preparation of the report, ever since the work started in mid-2004. I am deeply indebted to Dr. R. Radhakrishna Pillai, Chairman, Centre of Excellence IIMK and Shri. K. Kunhikrishnan, Chief Administrative Officer, IIMK, for their unflagging assistance in sorting out the various hurdles and hiccups in administering the research project. Extensive discussions and consultations were held with Dr. Rema and Shri. Ramdas of ACCORD Gudallur, Dr. B. Iqbal, Former Vice-Chancellor, Univ. of Kerala, Dr. Rajan Gurukkal, Dr. M. Kunhaman, Mr.Madhava Menon, former Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, Dr.Sara Joseph (Delhi University), Ms.Anitha Nair (Sussex University), Mr.C.P.John (Member, Planning Board) Dr. P.K. Sivanandan, IAS Retd., Dr.Carol Upadhya (NIAS), Dr. D.Narayana (Centre for Development Studies), Dr. P.J. Cherian, Director, Kerala Council for Historical Research, Dr. M.A. Kalam, Head of the Department of Anthropology, University of Madras, Dr.T.V.Sekhar ( Institute of Social and Economic Change Bangalore), Dr.A.Damodaran (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore), Dr.R.P.Suresh (IIMK), Dr.Saji Gopinath (IIMK), Dr. Michael Tharakan (Centre for Socio Economic and Environmental Studies - CSES), Dr. K.K. George (CSES), Dr. Kunhikrishnan (SSS), Mr. Sanal Mohan (SSS), Dr.Leena Abraham (TISS, Mumbai), Dr.Vineetha Menon (CDS), Dr.K.V.Mohanan ( Calicut University), Mr.Mohan Kumar (Dy.Director, KIRTADS), Mr.K.N.K.Sharma ( Retd. Acting Director, KIRTADS), Mr.Amrith (School of Social Sciences, MG University), Dr.P.Madhu (M.E.S.Engineering College, Kuttippuram), Dr.VijayaKumar (Calicut Medical College), Dr.Aravindan (CMC), Dr.Sunil (Amritha Tribal Hospital, Kalpetta), Dr.Regi George (Tribal Health Initiatve, Sittilingi), Dr.Seetha Lekshmi (Kerala Forest Research Institute ), Dr.Muraleedharan (Kerala Forest Research Institute), Mr.Shivaraj (URAVU, Wayanad ), Mr.Surendranath (Uravu), Mr.Baburaj (Uravu), Prof.Mohan Babu, Batheri, Mr.Haribabu (Formerly of Equations and Tourism Consultant), Mr.Sanat Kumar (UPASI), Mr.Joy (Kudumbasree), Mr.C.V.Sivaraman (Brahmagiri Dev. Society) and Mr.Sumesh (Equations,Bangalore). I convey my deep sense of gratitude to them for their wholehearted support. I am especially grateful to the following institutions and organizations for supporting the project in different ways. 5 National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc., Bangalore, School of Social Sciences, M.G. University, Kottayam, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Departments of Community Medicine and Pathology, Calicut Medical College, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, KIRTADS, Calicut, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Wayanad, KCHR, Thiruvananthapuram. ACCORD Gudallur, Tribal Health Initiative, Dharmapuri, Key Stones Fondations, Kothagiri, Rasta, Wayanad Uravu, Kalpetta, Vivekananda Medical Mission, Wayanad, Kudumbasree, Wayanad, Brahmagiri Development Society, and UPASI, Kalpetta. During the course of the study, the research team had the benefit of discussion with a large number of senior officials from the Government of Kerala. Here I express my profound gratitude to Mr. Romanus Horo, IAS, Principal Secretary, SCSTDD, Mr. S.M. Vijayanand, Principal Secretary, Planning, Mr. P.N. Unnikrishnan, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr.Bharadwaj I.F.S, and Dr.Rajasekharan Nair, Planning Board. We had extensive and wide-ranging consultations with Shri. T.T. Antony, Director, STDD who has always supported us in the conduct of our study. Mr. John, Deputy Director Retd., STDD and Mr. Chandrasekharan, STDD, all the District Heads in Wayanad including the District Collector, DFO Mananthavady, DMO Kalpetta, Planning Officer, Kalpetta, District Panchayat President, Kalpetta, Mr. Joseph and Mr. Balaram, TDOs in Wayanad, TEOs in Wayanad particularly, Mr. Basheer and Mr. Sasidharan Chettiar were all extremely cordial and helpful. I acknowledge my deep sense of gratitude for their positive and holistic support. I am immensely grateful to the various Adivasi and political organizations in Wayanad including Adivasi Kshema Samithi and other Adivasi organizations, who wetted our efforts with sincerity and warmth. I thank Mr.Krishna Prasad, Mr.Sasidharan, Mr.Sachidanandan, social activist and Advocate Asokan in this connection. I am extremely indebted to the Panchayat Presidents in Wayanad, particularly, Mr.Sahadevan(Tirunelli Panchayat) and Mr.Gagarin (Vythiri Panchayat) for being indulgent to us with their active participation and support. Finally I warmly thank the members of the Wayanad Initiative survey team for making our baseline study possible. Mr.K.P.Suresh, Ms.Sujatha.K.K, Mr.Santhosh Kumar.T and Ms.Biny Verghese were all guided by a deep and shared concern for the Adivasi communities in Wayanad. Ms.Shalini Nair, our Faculty (IT), was the key actor behind the sharp and articulate data presentations in the Report. Our sincere thanks go to her and also to Ms.Dhanya and Mr. Rajeev for assisting the research team in the data collection process. At the CEx office, Mr.C.V.C.Varier, Administrative Officer, Ms.Jinsha, Ms.Ambika Bai, Mr.Biju and Mr.Abhilash contributed immensely to the well-being of the research process. Also, thanks are due to Mr.Shylesh.P.K who drove our project vehicle through the tortuous tracts of Wayanad, navigating us also, symbolically, through the difficult realms of understanding the varied Adivasi social milieus in the District. For the Research Team, Prof. D.D.Nampoothiri Chief Project Coordinator, Wayanad Initiative January 12 2006 6 Executive Summary Wayanad is the least populated district of the state, and its population constitutes 2.47 per cent of Kerala’s total population and covers 5.5 per cent of land. Adivasi communities constitute 17 per cent of the population of the Wayanad district and roughly one third of all the Adivasi communities of the State. These communities form the poorest section of the population of the district and they fall behind the rest of the population of Kerala in terms of literacy, income and health. Despite being a significant section of the population of the district, they do not have adequate representation in decision-making bodies, including the local leadership of major political parties. Majority of the Adivasis of Wayanad are agricultural laborers or marginal farmers. Main Adivasi communities of the district are Paniyans, Adiyans, Kattunaickans,