Nilambur Cholanaikans unbundle woes in front of judge

Officials accused of not letting govt. aid reach tribespople

Malappuram District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary and Sub Judge Noushadali K. visited the primitive Cholanaikan tribespeople living in the deeper areas of the Nilambur forests on Thursday in the wake of the death of a newborn due malnutrition.

The tribespeople living in the hamlets of Kuppumala, Chempukallu, Nagamala, Varganmala, and Mathilmala unbundled their woes in front of the judge. “We have not got any help from them [Integrated Tribal Development Project officials and health officials]. Nobody cared for us,” they told the judge.

Officials of the Legal Services Authority had visited the hamlets on January 7 to study their living conditions. The Sub Judge had alerted the authorities, including the District Collector and the ITDP authorities, about the condition of a pregnant tribal woman named Asha on January 13. He also had sought an action taken report from the ITDP on the matter.