Chennai(Tamil Nadu): A 28-year-old tribal girl K Roja of the Irula community pursuing her PhD from Loyola College, Chennai of Tamil Nadu. Her repeated attempts to secure a community certificate so that she can get a college education had hit the wall. While the Right to Education has been guaranteed by the Constitution to Scheduled Tribes, one of the most disadvantaged groups, the system, more often than not, ensures they do not get access to that right.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Roja said, "I have joined the general category in the undergraduate college course in a government college in Viluppuram district. I got the Irular caste certificate and the scholarship last year." Even in a severe financial crisis, she continued her higher education and was able to secure an MBA degree. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Loyola College, Chennai.
K Roja was born to Kalivarathan and Kumari in Marur village near Tindivanam in Villupuram district, she is the eldest among three siblings. When she turned four, she started attending government schools on her own, she says. The headmaster of the school observed the extraordinary talent Roja had particularly in terms of passion for education. Furthermore, the headmaster reportedly advised Roja's father to admit her to the school, after which she was enrolled.
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Talking about getting an Irula caste certificate, Roja said, "The problem of issuing caste certificates still remains a bane for underprivileged sections despite the advancement of technology. Moreover, my family has lived in a brick kiln for generations and I still have regrets about not being able to send my brother and sister to school. It is because of the fact that after I graduated with a master's degree, then only I realised what is happening outside the world in all aspects of my life." She added that even her parents did not go to school, as her family was in penury.
During her schooling, she wrote the SSLC examination and secured 275 marks out of 500, while she scored 772 marks out of 1200 in plus two examinations. Roja said, "at the time, on the advice of professor Kalyani, I applied to join the BSc (Botany) course at Villupuram Arignar Anna Government College. But, my family did not know I had applied to join the college," she recalled.
Roja had to face another issue when she was about to step into college to pursue her post-graduate studies. "I do not have a tribal caste certificate and I realised that I needed a caste certificate to continue my study. The college principal ensured that even without my caste certificate I can be admitted to college. However, she did not get a seat in the first phase of counselling."
"However, during the final round of counselling, the principal offered and admitted her under the general category. "The college principal also instructed me that I would get a scholarship after I get a caste certificate," she said, adding that during the second year she received an Irula caste certificate with the help of Professor Kalyani.
While speaking about the English language, Roja says that she found it difficult to speak and write in English in the beginning. "However, I completed my first year successfully without any arrears. Later on, I equipped myself and continued studying well. I also passed the MSc (Botany) course with 82 per cent marks. I was the first student to secure good marks in my class at our college. Following that, I joined the MBA course at Madras Presidency college in 2017 when some good Samaritans came forward to help her before pursuing a PhD in Loyola College."
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Those days are gone when the Irular tribes were illiterate and unaware of how education brings a change in life. However, things are opposite now, as the underprivileged members, particularly kids of the community, started going to school. But, the fact remains that their fight for getting the Irular community certificate is still going on.
