The two incidents in Wayanad reinforce the feeling that Kerala is an uncivilized society that remains in the dark ages when it comes to its treatment of tribals. No one would have felt any abnormality if this happened in Bihar or UP. Both incidents are so unfortunate and tragic that it makes people wonder if Kerala, which claims to have advanced a lot on the path of humanity, development and renaissance, is going back to where it started. The first incident of unforgivable brutality was when a tribal labourer named Mathan from Koodalkadav on Kuruva Island near Mananthavadi was dragged for half a kilometre with a car by a group of assailants and left on the road. Another was the case of a tribal woman who had to be taken to the burial ground in an auto-rickshaw with her body sticking out because the government department refused an ambulance for her remains.

The first atrocity took place near Koodalkadavu on Pulpally Road around 5 pm on Sunday. Mathan is undergoing treatment at Wayanad Medical College Hospital with serious injuries. The skin on one part of the body is completely gone. The soles of both legs were scraped and the flesh was exposed. His spine is also seriously injured. The assailants stopped the car and escaped after dragging Mathan for half a kilometre despite the locals running after them. The police arrested the attackers later. Our government systems should be able to ensure maximum punishment for those who dare to such inhumane violence. It was the general perception that anyone could do anything to the tribals that gave them the courage to behave so inhumanely.

Kerala has not forgotten the incident of Madhu being beaten to death at Attapadi by a mob and the helpless face of Madhu tied up which appeared in the newspapers. The crime he committed was that took some food and ate it as he could not stand his hunger. Mathan's incident has happened before the memory of that incident has faded. It was only by luck that Mathan did not lose his life. The failure of the government is evident in the second incident that happened last day in Wayanad. The corpse of Chundamma (76) of Edavaka panchayat was taken to the burial ground in an autorickshaw since an ambulance was not available. How many crores of rupees are spent annually by the central and state governments for tribal welfare? Is there no provision to arrange an ambulance free of charge to take the tribals to the burial ground if they die?

The forest department had destroyed the huts of some tribals in Wayanad and evicted them recently. Huts were rebuilt for them when the incident became controversial. There is no estimate for the harm done to the tribals by the revenue, forest department and police officials of the government. A lion's share of the amount allocated to tribals has gone into the pockets of such officials and middlemen politicians. There is no history of anyone who has gone to save the tribals actually saving them. Only by imparting education to all the adivasis can they be freed from the traps of the society. It is humiliating that these two incidents, which Kerala should be ashamed of, took place in Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister OR Kelu's own constituency in Wayanad. The Left government should take immediate steps to prevent such incidents from happening again at least from now on.