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Pill-popping endangering Kerala tribe’s survival
The Adivasi women of the remote forest village, Edamalakudy, in Kerala’s Idukki district had started popping the “pill” to escape the hardships of life in the menstrual quarantine homes (Valapuras or Valaymapuras) and as a contraceptive method. But now it is beginning to endanger the very survival of the tribe, if reports are to be believed.
Reports of studies among the women of Muthuvan tribe of Edamalakudy speak of high incidence of various disorders including infertility, something that was virtually unknown till some years back in the 28 tribal settlements. Studies also show that most women of fertile age in these settlements are taking the contraceptive pills.
As per the custom of these Adivasis, still living away from civilization and refusing to give up their age-old customs and beliefs, women should stay away from their family homes during their periods and childbirth. Valapuras, where there are no basic facilities a human being may need, is the place for this forced quarantine.
Menstruating women should stay at Valapuras for three to seven days, which practically means that every woman – between puberty and menopause – will be spending s many days of every month of her life in fertile age in isolation. The quarantine at Valapuras for women for childbirth, the time a woman is in real need of comfort and relief, is one month.
Tribal women say that the fear of life at Valapuras is forcing them to take the contraceptive pill (mainly Mala-D) so that menstruation could be delayed or avoided through persistent use. “A visit to Valapuras will convince you why these women continue to take the contraceptive pill,” said a Kochi-based health worker after a tour of Edamalakudy.
Fears generated by the primitive obstetric techniques, which the tribespeople fondly call “traditional”, also are responsible for pushing women into dependence on the pill. For example, the umbilical cord is cut using a blade made out of bamboo. Modern health care systems are literally unavailable anywhere near Edamalakudy.
However, the pill has now begun to show its inevitable consequences. Not many Adivasi women in Edamalakudy have menstruated in the past several months. Till some five years ago, Edamalakudy used to witness five childbirths a month on an average but the situation is so alarming these days that even one childbirth in a month is rare.
Not many Adivasi homes in the 28 settlements have more than one new-generation child each now. Many couples have not been lucky to parent a child even after six or eight years of life together. The one-teacher tribal school at Edalippara in Edamalakudy used to have 80 students ten years ago but the number has now come down to a mere 20, according to reports.
Adivasis reaching Munnar, the town nearest to Edamalakudy, say that cartons and cartons of contraceptive pills are being brought to their isolated jungle village every month. “The pill has become an unavoidable part of women’s lives there. It is the mothers themselves who give the pills to their adolescent daughters,” said a health worker.
Campaigns by the State Health Department and voluntary health workers are yet to yield any result. Inaccessibility of the settlements is one of the major reasons for this. Edamalakudy is 18 km from Pettimudi, the last point accessible by vehicle. From there, it takes a six-hour trek on a narrow trail to reach the nearest settlement.
Edamalakudy had become the first all-Adivasi panchayat in Kerala after the local bodies elections of October, 2010 but this has not helped much in improving the living conditions of Muthuvans. The regular use of contraceptive pills could cause serious complications like cancer, anemia and infertility among the women, experts warn.
Reports now say that pill-popping by Adivasis is rampant also in the settlements in other villages of Idukki district like Kanthaloor, Vattavada and Marayoor, famous for their sprawling vegetable gardens.
The Adivasi women of the remote forest village, Edamalakudy, in Kerala’s Idukki district had started popping the “pill” to escape the hardships of life in the menstrual quarantine homes (Valapuras or Valaymapuras) and as a contraceptive method. But now it is beginning to endanger the very survival of the tribe, if reports are to be believed.
Reports of studies among the women of Muthuvan tribe of Edamalakudy speak of high incidence of various disorders including infertility, something that was virtually unknown till some years back in the 28 tribal settlements. Studies also show that most women of fertile age in these settlements are taking the contraceptive pills.
As per the custom of these Adivasis, still living away from civilization and refusing to give up their age-old customs and beliefs, women should stay away from their family homes during their periods and childbirth. Valapuras, where there are no basic facilities a human being may need, is the place for this forced quarantine.
Menstruating women should stay at Valapuras for three to seven days, which practically means that every woman – between puberty and menopause – will be spending s many days of every month of her life in fertile age in isolation. The quarantine at Valapuras for women for childbirth, the time a woman is in real need of comfort and relief, is one month.
Tribal women say that the fear of life at Valapuras is forcing them to take the contraceptive pill (mainly Mala-D) so that menstruation could be delayed or avoided through persistent use. “A visit to Valapuras will convince you why these women continue to take the contraceptive pill,” said a Kochi-based health worker after a tour of Edamalakudy.
Fears generated by the primitive obstetric techniques, which the tribespeople fondly call “traditional”, also are responsible for pushing women into dependence on the pill. For example, the umbilical cord is cut using a blade made out of bamboo. Modern health care systems are literally unavailable anywhere near Edamalakudy.
However, the pill has now begun to show its inevitable consequences. Not many Adivasi women in Edamalakudy have menstruated in the past several months. Till some five years ago, Edamalakudy used to witness five childbirths a month on an average but the situation is so alarming these days that even one childbirth in a month is rare.
Not many Adivasi homes in the 28 settlements have more than one new-generation child each now. Many couples have not been lucky to parent a child even after six or eight years of life together. The one-teacher tribal school at Edalippara in Edamalakudy used to have 80 students ten years ago but the number has now come down to a mere 20, according to reports.
Adivasis reaching Munnar, the town nearest to Edamalakudy, say that cartons and cartons of contraceptive pills are being brought to their isolated jungle village every month. “The pill has become an unavoidable part of women’s lives there. It is the mothers themselves who give the pills to their adolescent daughters,” said a health worker.
Campaigns by the State Health Department and voluntary health workers are yet to yield any result. Inaccessibility of the settlements is one of the major reasons for this. Edamalakudy is 18 km from Pettimudi, the last point accessible by vehicle. From there, it takes a six-hour trek on a narrow trail to reach the nearest settlement.
Edamalakudy had become the first all-Adivasi panchayat in Kerala after the local bodies elections of October, 2010 but this has not helped much in improving the living conditions of Muthuvans. The regular use of contraceptive pills could cause serious complications like cancer, anemia and infertility among the women, experts warn.
Reports now say that pill-popping by Adivasis is rampant also in the settlements in other villages of Idukki district like Kanthaloor, Vattavada and Marayoor, famous for their sprawling vegetable gardens.
