annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Kerala<br />
money. The land alienation at the<br />
Theviyarkunnu settlement in the<br />
Chooliyamala area of the territorial<br />
division is <strong>report</strong>edly so complete that not<br />
a single tribal family is found there now.<br />
A stretch of 118 hectares of tribal land in<br />
this settlement is entirely with wealthy<br />
non-tribals. 11<br />
There have also been <strong>report</strong>s of sexual<br />
exploitation of the tribal women.<br />
According to official estimates, there are<br />
about 300 unwed mothers in Wayanad<br />
district. For the victims, the raising of these<br />
children has not only been a challenge but<br />
also a psychological trauma. Girls who<br />
become pregnant be<strong>for</strong>e marriage are excommunicated.<br />
Though the Kerala<br />
Women’s Commission’s initiative by<br />
en<strong>for</strong>cing DNA tests has <strong>report</strong>edly<br />
checked the widespread sexual exploitation<br />
of the tribal women to some extent, the<br />
victims continued to suffer in silence. A<br />
Malayalam weekly magazine claimed that<br />
unwed tribal mothers in remote Tirunelli<br />
<strong>for</strong>ests in Wayanad district had been killing<br />
their children “frequently”. 12<br />
IV. Farmers’ death<br />
Extreme poverty and burden of debt<br />
<strong>for</strong>ced many farmers to commit suicide by<br />
consuming pesticides.<br />
On 3 April 2004, three farmers<br />
<strong>report</strong>edly committed suicide. One of them<br />
was identified as Mathew Thomas, who<br />
consumed pesticide in front of the public<br />
at Mundakkayam town in Kottayam<br />
district. The others <strong>report</strong>edly took the<br />
extreme step due to harassment by the<br />
goondas, anti-social elements, employed<br />
by private banks. 13<br />
At least 17 farmers committed<br />
suicide due to crop loss in drought in<br />
April and May 2004. The farmers include<br />
11 from Wayanad district, 2 from Kannur<br />
district, and one each in Kasargod,<br />
Palakkad, Kottayam and Idukki districts.<br />
The state government <strong>report</strong>edly paid Rs<br />
50,000 each to the families of 11 farmers<br />
who died in Wayanad district. 14<br />
Following the death of three more<br />
farmers on 3 April 2004, the state<br />
government <strong>report</strong>edly declared a sixmonth<br />
moratorium on farm loans, and<br />
doubled the relief package <strong>for</strong> droughthit<br />
farmers depending on their crop<br />
loss. 15 On 31 May 2004, National <strong>Human</strong><br />
<strong>Rights</strong> Commission issued a suo motu<br />
notice to the state government. 16<br />
■<br />
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