Serving the most backward people

 

Silpa P, branch postmaster of Chindakki Post Office, and Ajith K, assistant branch postmaster, speak about their experiences serving the members of the backward Irula, Muduga and Kurumba tribes. They live deep inside the Silent Valley Project Park in the Nilgiris

By Shevlin Sebastian 

At noon on August 7, Ajith K, 25, an assistant branch postmaster was returning on his bike after visiting a tribal colony in Anavayi. This village is 600 metres above sea level, inside the Silent Valley Project Park in the Nilgiris. It is about 10 kms from the Chindakki post office where he works. Sitting behind him was Hari, 30, a teacher who had hitched a ride from the hamlet (Malayalam name: ooru). 

The duo went down the sloping road. It was made of interlocking tiles, but covered at some sections by green moss. All of a sudden the bike skidded. The next thing Ajith knew he had fallen off the bike, with Hari holding on to him. Ajith landed on his knees. When he rolled up his trousers, he saw that the skin had scraped off from the knees. Blood trickled down. Ajith felt a throbbing pain in his legs. Somehow, they made the bike upright, and rode back to Chindakki.   

Ajith is now recuperating at a lodge. This is one of the hazards that Ajith faces when delivering letters to the members of the backward Irula, Muduga and Kurumba tribes. They live in Thadikundu, Murugala, Kadukumanna, Kinattukara, Chindakki, Veerannur, Thudukki and Galasi. In most of the places, there are no roads. So, Ajith has to walk to deliver the mail. 

While on his treks through the dense forests, there are always the dangers of animals. Elephants roam around apart from wild bison, tigers, bears, leopards and snakes. “A huge bear was sighted recently at Edavani,” said Ajith. “The photo appeared in the newspapers.”  

In the Bhavani river, near the Chindakki post office, when elephants come to drink water, forest officers burst crackers to make them move away from human habitation. 

“Nowadays, elephants attack human beings,” said Ajith. Last year, when a Jeep was travelling at night, an elephant attacked it and the vehicle toppled over. A few passengers were injured. Luckily, a few moments later, another vehicle was coming from the other side. They flashed their headlights, shouted and clapped their hands. The elephant, taken aback, trundled away before doing further damage. 

On a bund on a river near the post office, one day, people saw a dead tiger. It seemed to have hit a rock under the water and died of natural causes. At the back of the office, forest officers have regularly caught snakes like cobra, rat snakes and vipers. The locals keep dogs as pets so that they can bark and warn the people of the presence of snakes.

Ajith begins his day by collecting the mail bag from Mukkali, four kilometres away, and then he comes to the Chindakki post office to sort out the mail. Then he sets out by 11.30 a.m. By the time he finishes all his deliveries, about 35-50 letters, on an average, it is about 4.30 p.m. But he is physically tired. Then he goes to his lodge, on his bike to nearby Kaikundi.

The Chindakki post office has only two employees. Apart from Ajith, there is Silpa P, 26, the branch postmaster. Like Ajith, she is vibrant and energetic. 

Silpa’s working hours are from 8.30 to 12.30 p.m. She deals with money orders, registered and ordinary letters. Mostly, there are letters from the bank which consist of ATM cards. Then the Centre sends Aadhar cards, but they come in bulk. There are bank notices for those who have lapsed in their payments of loans as well as job interview calls and letters from colleges regarding admission. 

“The main problem is that even though the letters are less, as compared to other post offices, the delivery is a big problem,” said Silpa. “Usually, we could have called them on their mobile phones. But in the higher ranges, there is no mobile connectivity. There is no range, even 500 metres from our post office.” 

Apart from that, the seniors speak in the tribal language, which is similar to Tamil rather than Malayalam. So Silpa has a problem communicating with them. 

Most of the tribals come to the post office in a jeep which has other passengers. So Silpa will call one or two passengers who can understand the tribal language and know how to speak in Malayalam too. “That is how I have been able to communicate with them,” said Silpa.  

As for the elders, many of them do not know how to read or write. But now, the younger generation has had access to education. Quite a few have government jobs. “There are three government schools in the area,” said Ajith. “Most of the children of tribals attend the classes apart from outsiders, too. Their lives are improving.”

The tribals are mostly farmers. They grow millets, pepper, coffee and cardamom. At other times, they go to the forests to collect honey. Nearly all of them live in brick houses. These have been constructed by the government. “The houses in Anavayi are very clean,” said Ajith. “But in some places, it is not so well-maintained.”  

Asked about their diet, Ajith says that it consists of rice, roots, tubers, greens, herbs, and fish, which they get from the nearby Bhavani river. “Fish is a major component in their diet, along with seasonal fruits,” said Silpa. 

Mukkali is the place where the tribals go to buy provisions.  

On most days, anywhere between 10-12 people come to the post office to collect their wages or draw money from their savings account in the Indian Post Payment Bank. 

Even though Silpa is supposed to close the post office at 12.30 pm, many tribals, because they come from far distances, land up at 12.15 pm. “Since they come from far away, I cannot close the office,” she said. “It would be cruel.” 

For some it is difficult to make the trek. Those who live in the Galasi colony, which is way up in the mountains, have to travel 19 kms. First, they have to walk nine kilometres through the forest. Then only they can get a jeep to travel the rest of the distance. 

Asked about the weather, Silpa said that most of the time it is cold. “On most mornings, there is mist,” said Silpa. “When it rains it becomes cold. I wear pullovers most of the time. In December, I wear socks all the time. At night, I use blankets.”

On days when the road is blocked because of a fallen tree, Silpa walks the distance.  

She said the rainy season is the most difficult to tackle. Because of bad roads, once she fell from the Scooty on her way to work. Thankfully, a Jeep came after a few minutes. The driver got down and helped Silpa to put the Scooty back on its wheels. And she has to tackle a few hairpin bends also in driving rain. The best season is between December and January. “There are so many flowers,” said Silpa. “It looks so beautiful. It is like being in Paradise.”   

Silpa shares a flat with a postwoman Midula who works in Kalkandi, a couple of kilometres from Mukkali. They do the cooking together.  

She has completed over a year at the post office. 

“I have enjoyed my stint so far,” said Silpa, who had worked in a post office in the town of Kalluvazhi in Palakkad district. 

Asked the difference between townsfolk and the tribals, Silpa said that in the cities, people are shrewd, cunning and cynical. But the tribals are initially fearful of strangers. “But once you gain their trust they will open their hearts to you,” she said. “They will trust you implicitly. And they will accept and join all the government schemes that I tell them about.” 

(An edited version was published in The Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)