Rubber tappers repatriated from SL decades ago bear the brunt of ill-equipped housing

Madurai: Rubber tapperss, who were repatriated from parts of Sri Lanka decades ago, are bearing the brunt of ill-equipped homes at Ceylon Colony in Kanniyakumari district.

The tappers, who settled down at Ceylon Colony are Tamils and had worked in rubber plantations in Sri Lanka decades ago and were brought back to India under the Srimavo-Shastri pact. Earlier in 1960, it was known as Madras Government Rubber Plantation and later in 1984 it’s been rechristened as Arasu Rubber Corporation, sources said.

A repatriate, Satheesh, who is in Kanniyakumari since 1974 and works in Kuttiyar–I of Kodayar division, Arasu Rubber Corporation, said houses with tiled roofs are under poor condition and situation worsens especially at times of rain in the colony.

His brother S. Rathapan with 16 years of rubber tapping experience, said among nine rubber divisions in the district, two divisions including Chittar and Kuttiyar accommodate repatriates with over 250 houses at the Ceylon Colony.

Being a native of Gandarvakottai of Pudukottai district, he said houses remain only for namesake in the colony, which exists for over 40 years now.

Making things worse, is the condition of toilets that were kept awfully bad as people could hardly access it. People, especially women were encountering hardship while defecating as they were exposed to wild animals often. Moreover, the menace caused by monkeys adds to the woes of the repatriates here.

Apart from these, the 47-year old repatriate with two children, lamented that some benefits of the repatriation pact such as employment reservation for the repatriates have been discontinued. He also added that the wage revision settlement has not been effected since 2019.

The lack of doctors in a hospital for rubber workers is a cause of major concern and the needy had no alternative to access Kulasekaram GH to meet emergency medical care, Prathapan said.

Another tapper Gnanasundaram (50) in Chittar since 1964, said poor hygiene and sanitary conditions affect the health of people in the colony.

According to M Valsakumar, district general secretary, Estate Workers Union, CITU, generations of workers have been working in rubber plantations under the category of ‘Thayagam Thirumbiya Tamilargal’.

Kanniyakumari Collector M Arvind told DT Next that teams would conduct inspections in the colony and make necessary arrangements to ensure better living conditions at the locality under government schemes.