CORPORATE CITIZEN CLAPS FOR IRCDUC-INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE DEPRIVED URBAN COMMUNITIES AND TEACHER S. PRABHAKARAN FOR BRINGING A RAY OF HOPE TO 40-ODD STUDENTS FROM THE IRULAR TRIBAL HAMLET ROUND TAMIL NADU’S KADAMBATHUR VILLAGE NEAR TIRUVALLUR

Education for most Irular children which came to a halt during the 2020 lockdown has been revived. Introducing daily tuitions has resulted in some 30 students attending classes on the first day itself. Special thanks are due to S. Prabhakaran, a teacher from the nearby KENC Government High School in Manavala Nagar, located close to the Irular hamlet. Social welfare activists also sourced stationery for the students who are mainly primary class students and many who dropped out due to the pandemic. “Some have even forgotten the names of teachers and their schools as it has been over a year since they went to school,” said Prabhakaran. It has been a challenge to get the children to attend classes regularly and Prabhakaran worries that in the absence of education, they will be pushed towards traditional jobs of fishing or as farmhands. The tutorial revival brings hope for the Irular tribe-a Dravidian ethnic group that inhabit Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The scheduled tribe has had to constantly battle housing, education and other basic amenities. IRCDUC has also attempted to install solar electricity panels in the region. Traditionally, the Irulars’ are rat and snake catchers, into fishing and cattle farming and also collect honey. They work as labourers (coolies) during the sowing and harvesting seasons or in rice mills for rich landlords. Despite their difficulties, the 2020 lockdown had showcased the enthusiasm of some 200 Irular children across Coimbatore’s village hamlets, who have been writing stories in their indigenous language, translating the words and their culture through stories. They found a voice through the American Tamil Radio, an online radio station in California’s Bay Area that broadcasted their stories within the Tamil diaspora across the U.S., Malaysia, Canada and Singapore. Education is undoubtedly the universal winner here!

CORPORATE CITIZEN SLAPS THE ALARMING RISE IN ELDERLY ABUSE WITH INDIA’S FIRST AGEING SURVEY STATING THAT “AT LEAST 5 PER CENT OF INDIA’S ELDERLY POPULATION (AGED 60 YEARS AND ABOVE) EXPERIENCED ILL-TREATMENT IN 2020”

With an estimated 100 million people above 60 years, the count is a staggering five million people. The revelations come from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)-the national survey of scientific investigation based on health, economic and social parameters that depict consequences of ‘population ageing’ in India. Elder abuse can have its manifestations in emotional, physical, psychological, financial strain, sexual and even neglect as experienced by half of the survey group (52.6%). The extent of neglect is more in the Southern belts with Andhra Pradesh leading with 87%, Telangana (68%) and Tamil Nadu (TN) at 69%. Elderly abuse indications vary with countries and cultures, a fundamental violation of human rights leading to several health and emotional problems. The survey highlights women who lose support as they lose their partners to old age and often do not have a steady income source or other economic activity. The report shows state-wise disparities in abuse which is more rampant in Bihar (12%), Karnataka (10%), West Bengal (8%) and 6% each within Uttar Pradesh (UP), Chandigarh, and Chhattisgarh. “Almost a fifth experienced physical ill-treatment (23.7%); this occurs when a senior is wounded due to hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, burning or other show of force”, stated the report. More grave reasons include economic exploitation (26.5%), related to misuse of an elderly person’s money, property and assets. Ironically, the 2011 National Policy or the New Draft Policy 2020 for senior citizens does not mention any specific measures but merely asserts creating measures to prevent elder abuse. While NGOs like HelpAge India, Dignity Foundation, are active in certain areas, India is too big for them to cover the mammoth elderly footprints. Besides, there needs the active support of law enforcement agencies like the Police and legal forum to make people recognise the elderly as useful assets. With India’s aged population count estimated at over 104 million and the demographics anticipated to triple by 2050, can a separate Ministry dedicated to senior citizens be too much to ask? With longevity and good health, most elderly are welcoming their long-lost goals. It is time society gives them the chance to reboot their lives.