About 58% of children of palm tree climbers are irregular students at schools as they lack transportation [to reach schools] and electricity, according to a report Denied livelihood of migrant palmyra workers leads to denial of education and health of children.
The report was released here on Thursday by Manila Panaithozhilalargal Matrum Kaivinaignargal Sangam (MPMKS). Addressing the event, MPMKS general secretary M. Subbaiah said: “The palmyra climbers have to take loans from local lenders to even begin their livelihood. This means that they have to sell their wares back to the same lenders, from whom they avail of loans, who only who buy it at lowest rates and sell it at higher rates outside.”
While the men go to collect the sap, the women make palm jaggery, which is slowly being replaced with white sugar jaggery owing to its lower prices. This has caused distress among the workers. “We are now unable to pay back our loans,” K. Tamilselvi, from Sayalkudi, said.
During the season, from January to August, the palmyra workers move in to the palm tree woods with their families for six to eight months for work. Since they do not own these farms, they take up these jobs as labourers. As they are cut-off from their villages and towns, they have no access to water or electricity, prompting their children to drop out of school and help their parents in earning money. “I tried getting my children to stay at my mother’s place in the village so that they need not travel 6 km to take a bus to the nearest school. It, however, became difficult for my mother; so we pulled them out of school,” Ms. Tamilselvi added.
As children, aged three to five, lack access to anganwadis, they miss out on nutrition and early education, the report said.
“We want the government to give us solar lights, improve transportation facilities and set up a bus depot so that our children can continue their education,” Mr. Subbaiah said.
The MPMKS also put forth a slew of demands, including establishment of palm trade parks, a comprehensive licence for workers and fixed prices for palm products, and sought a government order to get banks to grant loans to palmyra tree climbers.
