During her teenage years, G Priya toiled as a bonded laborer at a brick kiln in Vellore, seeing no way out for herself or her family. In 2015, a ray of hope came when he and his family were rescued by government officials and resettled with a house in the 15-acre complex of Abdul Kalam Puram in Meesanallur village in Tiruvannamalai district. Things have been getting better since then, says the 29-year-old, whose family was among the 100 rescued bonded laborers who were given permanent housing in a community living space.
Meesanallur today is much more than just a social housing project. It has become a model of rehabilitation.
Over the past decade, rescued laborers in Meesanallur, who belong to the Irular community – classified under particularly vulnerable tribal groups – have been trained and employed in various cottage industries in the village. Some have also been trained to start their own businesses and are joint owners of brick kilns and wood workshops as well as charcoal and paper bag manufacturing units.
Priya works in a sanitary napkin manufacturing unit, which is jointly run with 23 other rescued women. “We sell our products under the ‘Vagai’ brand,” she says, adding that she has started receiving orders for 40,000 pads from Lotus Footwear at SIPCOT. “We are now getting BIS certification for our product and are looking at ways to improve our marketing,” says Priya.
While most rehabilitation exercises across India focus on providing alternative livelihoods to rescued labourers, they do not provide permanent residence, due to which many cannot avail of government benefits. The Meesanallur project is one of the few projects that provides viable livelihoods and permanent residence.
All the houses here are similar in size and appearance. One BHK houses are fitted with solar panels for small electrical appliances and biogas plants for cooking. Drinking water pipeline has been laid in the smart housing colony and street lights have been repaired. The village also has a park, a community hall and an Anganwadi (crèche/daycare center) for children.
“There is no example of rescued bonded laborers returning to their old lives even after the Meesanallur project started,” says P Muniyappan, president of the Rescued Bonded Laborers Association. “Our association is working with the government to ensure that this does not happen. Government ID cards like Aadhaar, Ration and Voter ID cards are being provided so that they can get all the benefits due to them.
There is a school nearby for students up to class VIII but they have to go to other villages and towns like Thellar, Nadukuppam and Vandavasi for higher secondary education. “We have 100 children enrolled in the school here,” says Muniyappan. “We need the government to provide transport for the students, especially for Class XI and XII girls, who have to travel some distance to school. “
However, only a few youth from Meesanallur have joined colleges. “In my community, girls are married at a very young age, which is why I am determined to get a job immediately after getting my degree,” says Deepika, one of the few people in the village who is studying in college. Are. “Maybe I’ll inspire other parents to allow their kids to go to college.”
Tiruvallur collector T Prabhushankar, who was the sub-collector of Tiruvannamalai in 2015, says the project was started soon after the 2015 floods, when it was found that the houses of Irulas living near the reservoirs were washed away, and they Helped start this project. Base. “Under the Tribal Welfare Scheme, funds were sought from the Central Government to build houses.” About 50 houses were built in the first phase and then the project was stopped. The project was restarted in 2019 by PK Kandasamy, MD of Tamil Nadu Adi Dravida Housing and Development Corporation Limited, who took over as the Collector of Tiruvannamalai (and is now spread over about 40 acres and more than 100 extends to families). “Although they had housing, we found that unemployment was a problem they faced, which is why we set up cottage industries here,” says Kandasamy. “Community members were trained and assigned to industries based on skills. We have new ventures in the pipeline, among them training women in tailoring. We plan to get orders for stitching government uniforms.
Resettlement is a social change, where families have to adopt a new way of life, says Prince Solomon Devadas, associate professor of social work and field work coordinator at Madras Christian College, who helped in the transition to community life.
“Despite having the houses ready, one reason some families did not want to relocate was the Irular’s deep bond with their ancestral land, often regardless of legal ownership, as it connects them to the spirits of their ancestors.”
Devdas says social discrimination against the community as ‘snake catchers’ makes it difficult for them to trust outsiders. “Instead of imposing urban standards, we need to design as per their norms. For example, houses should feel familiar, with slanted roofs mimicking thatch, and verandas for communal gatherings or resting for the elderly, making the community familiar. Social housing projects have to take into account the unique way of life of the community.
Meesanallur today is much more than just a social housing project. It has become a model of rehabilitation.
Over the past decade, rescued laborers in Meesanallur, who belong to the Irular community – classified under particularly vulnerable tribal groups – have been trained and employed in various cottage industries in the village. Some have also been trained to start their own businesses and are joint owners of brick kilns and wood workshops as well as charcoal and paper bag manufacturing units.
Priya works in a sanitary napkin manufacturing unit, which is jointly run with 23 other rescued women. “We sell our products under the ‘Vagai’ brand,” she says, adding that she has started receiving orders for 40,000 pads from Lotus Footwear at SIPCOT. “We are now getting BIS certification for our product and are looking at ways to improve our marketing,” says Priya.
While most rehabilitation exercises across India focus on providing alternative livelihoods to rescued labourers, they do not provide permanent residence, due to which many cannot avail of government benefits. The Meesanallur project is one of the few projects that provides viable livelihoods and permanent residence.
All the houses here are similar in size and appearance. One BHK houses are fitted with solar panels for small electrical appliances and biogas plants for cooking. Drinking water pipeline has been laid in the smart housing colony and street lights have been repaired. The village also has a park, a community hall and an Anganwadi (crèche/daycare center) for children.
“There is no example of rescued bonded laborers returning to their old lives even after the Meesanallur project started,” says P Muniyappan, president of the Rescued Bonded Laborers Association. “Our association is working with the government to ensure that this does not happen. Government ID cards like Aadhaar, Ration and Voter ID cards are being provided so that they can get all the benefits due to them.
There is a school nearby for students up to class VIII but they have to go to other villages and towns like Thellar, Nadukuppam and Vandavasi for higher secondary education. “We have 100 children enrolled in the school here,” says Muniyappan. “We need the government to provide transport for the students, especially for Class XI and XII girls, who have to travel some distance to school. “
However, only a few youth from Meesanallur have joined colleges. “In my community, girls are married at a very young age, which is why I am determined to get a job immediately after getting my degree,” says Deepika, one of the few people in the village who is studying in college. Are. “Maybe I’ll inspire other parents to allow their kids to go to college.”
Tiruvallur collector T Prabhushankar, who was the sub-collector of Tiruvannamalai in 2015, says the project was started soon after the 2015 floods, when it was found that the houses of Irulas living near the reservoirs were washed away, and they Helped start this project. Base. “Under the Tribal Welfare Scheme, funds were sought from the Central Government to build houses.” About 50 houses were built in the first phase and then the project was stopped. The project was restarted in 2019 by PK Kandasamy, MD of Tamil Nadu Adi Dravida Housing and Development Corporation Limited, who took over as the Collector of Tiruvannamalai (and is now spread over about 40 acres and more than 100 extends to families). “Although they had housing, we found that unemployment was a problem they faced, which is why we set up cottage industries here,” says Kandasamy. “Community members were trained and assigned to industries based on skills. We have new ventures in the pipeline, among them training women in tailoring. We plan to get orders for stitching government uniforms.
Resettlement is a social change, where families have to adopt a new way of life, says Prince Solomon Devadas, associate professor of social work and field work coordinator at Madras Christian College, who helped in the transition to community life.
“Despite having the houses ready, one reason some families did not want to relocate was the Irular’s deep bond with their ancestral land, often regardless of legal ownership, as it connects them to the spirits of their ancestors.”
Devdas says social discrimination against the community as ‘snake catchers’ makes it difficult for them to trust outsiders. “Instead of imposing urban standards, we need to design as per their norms. For example, houses should feel familiar, with slanted roofs mimicking thatch, and verandas for communal gatherings or resting for the elderly, making the community familiar. Social housing projects have to take into account the unique way of life of the community.
