| Eagora

Aranadan is a diminutive Scheduled Tribe Community of Nilambur Valley in Malappuram District of Kerala State, India. They subsist on food gathering, small scale hunting, non-wood forest produces and medicinal plants collection. This community is now on the verge of extinction. In 2008, Aranadan population was 348. As per the latest figures from the Scheduled Tribes Department, the population is reduced to 253. A survey conducted by the people of the Aranadan community itself showed that their population was reduced to 170.The reason for Aranadans’ extinction was government’s pervasive family planning project. During emergency period twenty people from Aranadan tribe were sterilised. Tribal people are the first and largest community to be the victim of sterilisation programme implemented as part of the family planning mission of the Indian government. Family planning promoters victimised the tribal people in Idukki, Wayanad and Malappuram districts to achieve their target. 13 women out of the total 20 persons sterilised during the campaign were aged between 15 and 49. It means that all were in their highly fertile age groups. Nowadays increased rate of infertility is visible among the new generation. This primitive tribal community, having very rich and unique cultural identity, will soon disappear from the land, unless the government and society take immediate steps. This research throws light into the plight of this tribal community which is striving for their very existence.