Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu: Background

Viralimalai Block, Pudukkottai District WESWA project area map Click on map to view at full size.

Pudukkottai District is located in a drought-prone area of Tamil Nadu, India, including the sub-district of Viralimalai. There has been little rain for the past ten consecutive years and people have either to migrate to towns or take to some jobs which are demeaning and detrimental to human growth -- like the menfolk taking to brewing illicit liquor, cutting trees and destroying the environmental and ecological balance and the womenfolk taking to prostitution or becoming bonded laborers.

Here there is total lack of awareness about HIV / AIDS and related aspects in the project area. Prostitution is rampant in the project area, as there are quite a large number of prostitutes identified for the project. The majority of them have been carrying on the flesh trade for many years. Almost all of them are scarcely aware of AIDS at all. They do not use any of the preventive measures even for STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).

The Government Hospital at Pudukkottai has a separate Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). On an average the department treats about hundred patients every day on an outpatient basis. Considering the high-risk behavior associated with STD, the extent of prevalence of HIV/ AIDS is likely to be quite high.

There are quite a large number of schools in this project area. Generally there is a low level of awareness about sexual aspects and particularly about STD and AIDS. All the same promiscuous behavior seems to be on the increase among high school children. In view of this there is a need to create awareness among the youth about the STD and AIDS through methods which would be appealing to them.

Ecological

The ecological balance is very much disturbed in this area as people cut trees for firewood purposes and sell them to earn their livelihood and this is turn leads to lack of rain and failure of monsoon. People have no knowledge of watershed management and water harvesting. This affects very badly both human beings and the livestock leading to many diseases related to vitamin deficiency.

Environmental

Environmentally this area of operation is very much polluted. People have little knowledge about environmental sanitation. The air population is compounded by cutting of trees for firewood purposes and planting insufficient number of trees. Many diseases related to virus infection are caused by this environmental disturbance.

Social

Socially, Indians as you may know, are divides on the basis of caste. In this area 60% of the people belong to the scheduled castes (lower castes). They are chiefly kept as bonded labourers who just work for their food. Their houses are thatched huts found in low-lying area apart from the residence of other caste people. They are landless or marginal farmers. They involve themselves in menial jobs by birth. They can not think of living a dignified human life. The other 40% of the people belong to other higher castes. Among them also 60% are landless and marginal farmers but they live with human dignity as they are up by birth and involve themselves in better jobs. Marriage systems are found within and among close relations and this leads to the birth of many mentally and physically and mentally handicapped children. Joint family system still exists which one of the contributing factors of over population in this area. They spent too much for social functions and festivals, which are entertainments for them. Traditional leadership pattern is carried out in most of the villages.

Cultural

Culturally these people have rich traditions, which are spoiled by the interpolated superstitions and defensive beliefs regarding nature, ailments and incidents. Superstitions reign so much that they are prevented from reasoning out the cause for present misery and poverty. They believe so much in the magical powers that they don't believe on themselves. They don't go to the doctor for ailments but to the soothsayer and magician.

Recently this has led to the menace of spending extravagantly on buying lottery tickets and going for movies in the cinema theatres. In spite of the enormous western influence in their way of talking, dressing, making use of scientific devices and so on they could not come out their spoilt cultural traditions.

Economic

Economically 60% of the people in this area live below the poverty line, able to have only one square meal a day. If the monsoon is regular the situation could be better. It is a gamble and so regularly irregular that people who had traditional ways of cultivating the land have little knowledge about modern methods of cultivation, short term crops, dry lands crops needing little water and other cash crops. They do not know other alternative source of income also. So out of poverty they cut trees to earn their bread and cause environmental and ecological imbalance. Otherwise they involve in brewing illicit liquor, which helps them to forget their misery, and worries or they migrate to towns where they sometimes become antisocial elements.

The conditions of the womenfolk are still worse. The moneylenders and other landlords exploit their labour and keep them bonded labourers in a disguised form. Some migrate to towns and some take to prostitution overtly or covertly.

Political

Indians got freedom when they were not even aware of it. Urbanization and industrialization policies of the government were not properly understood by people. Only of the rich and educated minority benefited by it and the majority could not reach it. Their ignorance has been exploited by politicians. People indulge in hero worship of political leaders and blindly vote for demigoges. Politicians in turn make emotional appeals, especially to the youngsters and womenfolk that they are divided into too many groups in the same village as there are too many parties.

On the part of planning also politicians just implement welfare schemes to attract votes than development schemes. Thus in these villages in the same street having twenty house one may see people becoming members of at least five political parties leading to many political feuds. The political consciousness of people is very poor that they have lost confidence that their franchise could bring about any positive change towards development.

Religious

India was rules by too many rulers who belonged to various religions that people are divided very much belonged to various religions that people are divided very much on the basis of religion also, they are thoroughly confused between various religions. There are many murders and feuds due to religious differences. In the same village and in the same street one may see people belonging to at least three religions. Of course they try to find unity in diversity, which is occasionally spoiled by vested interests. In this area of operation 90% are Hindus, 8% Muslims and 2% are Christians.

Educational

After independence people who had some background of education and money benefited by the modern education. Though there are schools in many villages parents don't send their children to school as they contribute two more hands to earn for the day's bread. This is due to the fact that they don't realize the need for education. In India education was considered to be for white collared jobs and not life-oriented. So people in villages do not value literacy or education. The literacy rate in this area of operation is only 25%. This leads villagers to involve themselves in traditional methods of cultivation and finding no alternative source of income generation.