Chinnamuthu, a 30-something school dropout belonging to the Kota tribe in Tiruchigadi hamlet, near Kotagiri in the Nilgiris, now holds the impressive title of Banking Correspondent. On behalf of Indian Overseas Bank, armed with a handheld device linked to the bank’s Ooty branch, he can receive deposits, authorise withdrawals and permit overdrafts to his fellow tribals as well as others in the neighbourhood. Financial inclusion is finally beginning to happen.

Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor, Dr. K.C. Chakrabarty, who is spearheading the movement across the country, explains, “We have been talking about it ever since nationalisation, but what makes us optimistic now is that we have the necessary technology. Inclusion is not only possible but also profitable”.

Kotas are one of six primitive tribes in the Nilgiris, numbering about 1,500 and occupying seven Kokals (hamlets) across the district. Traditional smiths and musicians of the hills, the new-generation Kotas, however,have taken up modern pursuits.

IOB Chairman and Managing Director M. Narendra says the bank will in due course cover the region’s other primitive tribes - namely Todas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Paniya and Kattunaikens - who together number about 22,000.

Recalling the bank’s earlier outreach efforts with the Kani tribes of Kanyakumari, IOB Executive Director Nupur Mitra asserts that the poor, such as tribals, are eminently bankable. Chakrabarty adds, “Opening the account is only the first step. At the minimum, four banking products need to be provided. A savings bank account, a remittance product, a pure savings product like a recurring deposit and a business credit.”

Alongside the mammoth Census 2011 exercise and the ongoing work on Unique Identification Number, financial inclusion is expected to provide each and every Indian a bank account followed by an overdraft facility.

The enterprising among them will be eligible for suitable loans. On top of everything, all of this will happen right at their doorstep.

IN TUNE WITH TRIBAL LIFE

The primitive tribes of Nilgiris, together with the more numerous Badagas, are exclusive to the Nilgiris. For hundreds of years they co-existed in peace and interdependence. Their economy consisted of ritualised barter. One group supplied foodgrains, another provided dairy products, some manufactured household and farm implements, while the rest collected forest produce such as honey and medicines. Besides goods, the groups also provided services such as music and medicare.

The barter system ended after the British introduced agrarian changes, following which most tribes ended up as labour in plantations.

After Independence, while the district rapidly developed into a tourist and tea centre, the tribes were left behind. Environmental laws further restricted their traditional use of forest resources.

Alcoholism and poverty have pushed them towards debt traps and exploitation by moneylenders. Any efforts to reach out should necessarily be sensitive to their unique way of life.

Says S. Sathyanarayanan, Director Tribal Research Centre, Nilgiris, “The best way to do this is to empower them financially and encourage them to choose their own way of development in tune with their cultural and traditional advantages and abilities”.

The overdraft facility is only the first step. The IOB proposes to open an exclusive skill development and financial literacy centre to take the inclusion plan forward. For instance, although buffalo rearing is

central to Toda culture and economy, over the years it has declined. “Today, Todas feel that grazing is still profitable. There appears to be a cooperative spirit among them…Credit can help them initiate buffalo-based cooperatives that market milk and milk products,” says Siddharth Krishnan, a researcher.

Thorthai and three of his young Toda kinsmen have received Rs 1 lakh loan for buffalo breeding.

HOLISTIC RURAL DEVELOPMENT

A critical complement to the financial inclusion plan is rural asset building. IOB has clubbed its inclusion plan with its Sampoorna programme for promoting holistic village development activities such as water and soil conservation, renewable energy, healthcare,women’s development and even rural tourism. Two Kota villages have been adopted under this scheme.

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