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The Vanagiri Way- 4-Nov-2008

Nagapattinam: An enquiry into the backround and status of Smt.Kumari w/o Sri Kaliaprumal of Vanagiri, a small coastal village near Nagapatinam which is coming out of the devastation caused by tsunami, also reveals the fact that women’s role  in the society is changing.  It shows that women, given a chance, will reach heights in spite of the discrimination and unfavourable conditions existing in the society.  The interesting factor about Vanagiri is there are no school drop-outs!

The aftermath of Tsunami is still visible in Vanagiri but it witnesses a  silent revolution in various fields like education,administration and social work.The reason for these sweeping changes is Mrs. Kumari, the newly elected Panchayat President. The most amazing fact is that this village Panchayat leader is keen and interested that there should be no students, especially girls, dropout of the school in the middle. If one takes a closer look at the various welfare projects of Vanagiri, a small village in Seerkazhi Taluk, it gives a clear sign that it is slowly creeping out of the tragic consequences of Tsunami which has ruthlessly devoured 52 lives. The election after Tsunami has brought a new lady Panchayat leader for the village.

The common practice seen is, the male spouse holds the administrative reins in secret, when a lady becomes a Panchayat leader. After contesting for the first time, Kumari (54) has become the Panchayat President. Her husband Mr.Kaliya Perumal was the former Panchayat leader. However, when he receives name and fame – which he could not get by his own service -- due to his wife’s works, he displays a broad smile as a silent spectator.

Mrs. Kumari, the mother of four girl children, leaving all her household work to her girls, carries out with zeal, the community work on her own without expecting anybody’s help or support. She likes to meet the people and sort out their problems without depending on others. Though coming from the Fishermen’s community, all her children have completed +2.  She has made one of her daughters to study upto M.Sc., M.Phil. She is keen to educate all the village children, just like what she done to her own children.

Since, she strongly believes that their village can progress only through education and sanitation, she is eager to prevent the girl children dropouts from school.The village has a Primary School and a Middle School. Smt Kumari’s ceaseless efforts have brought forth radical changes in the lives of fishermen community. If there are economically feeble and if the girls discontinue their studies, Smt Kumari, identifies the problems, talks to the parents and assures that each girl child would receive Rs.300/ from the Prime Minister’s Tsunami Relief Fund. She has successfully resolved the problems to get this scholarship and has helped 68 in the Primary and 138 in the Middle school girl students to receive this scholarship.

She has organized medical camps under the ‘Varumun Kaapom’ scheme.  With the help of the local NGOs she has arranged to train the interested students in Tailoring, Embroidery and Doll Making. She has made it possible for the students to be acquainted with the latest technology through the computers donated by an NGO to the Government introduced Middle school.

The ‘Educational Council’created by her functions meticulously; it supervises the activities of the school and its development, She ensures that this council comprises not only the elected Panchayat members but also Fishermen Panchayat members. As a result, the functioning is smooth without any ego problem. So far Kumari has generated Rs.60,000 from the well-to-do people of the village under the ‘Puravalar Scheme’ for the school development fund. The village school has received a distinctive name in the district for implementing happy learning through the ‘play way’ method.

A few years ago, most of the fishermen families had to give away a large portion of their income to ‘Kanthu Vatty’  and spent their lives in irretrievable sorrow. Now in Vanagiri people are rid off this menace. Hats off to Mrs. Kumari who boldly started the Self Help Groups very much against the initial opposition of the Panchayat members.  Now, there are  nearly 100 SHGs, which have helped many families to come out of the ‘kanthu vatty’ disaster. A point to note is, that the hurdles of the children’s education are minimized because these families’ have come out of their debt traps.

Mrs. Kumari has introduced a novel plan to generate funds for the marriage of a girl in their village. If there is a marriage in the village, 30 persons join together, and by contributing Rs.2000 each, they collect a sum of Rs.60,000/- and give it to the bride. Later, if there is another marriage among the 30, the other members of the group follow the same procedure, collect Rs.60,000/- and donate it to the bride. This method eases the pressure of providing dowry and meeting the marriage expenses. Kumari says, ‘Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai’ – Cooperative living fetches a billion good.

A village health care center alone is available in this place. So, Kumari brings in doctors from the primary health centers of the nearby villages and conducts Medical Camps. Arrangements have been made to use the ambulance available in the nearby village for the emergency needs of their village. She has brought drinking water facilities under ‘Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam’ to Dosaikulam Village, a dalit hamlet, which has been deprived of drinking water for the past 15 years. 

Though there are Primary and Middle schools, their desire to bring in a Higher secondary school remains a dream. Kumari wishes to get a higher secondary school in the village, as the children of the village have to go to the nearby village to continue their studies. Her earnest request is to ply more buses to the nearby village to facilitate the students.

Renukadevi, a student studying 8th standard at Vanagiri Municipal school says, “ I will take care of my father after completing my studies” when her father is confronted with the question how he was going to take care of his six daughters, as  there is a saying that even a king  would become a pauper if he had five girl children. A light of hope twinkles in the sad eyes of this excellent orator in Tamil.

Her elder sisters are doing Teacher Training course, 12th and 10th standards. Her younger sisters are in the 6th and 4th stds. Her father is a poor fish vendor. This young girl has clearly understood that only through education a new life will dawn to them. Roja, Renuka’s classmate is also smart in studies and oration. Roja wants to be a social worker in the future.

The perseverance of these children indicates that the women no longer need to be at the kitchen and that they should proper education. ‘Why education for women in kitchen’: This saying gets deleted.  Vanagiri shows the way.