Kerala's scenic Wayanad district rose to unexpected stardom recently when Congress chief Rahul Gandhi chose it as the second seat to contest the crucial Lok Sabha polls this year. However, the real star of Wayanad these days is not Rahul, but a 25-year-old tribal woman. She is Sreedhanya Suresh, who is the first tribal person from Kerala to crack the prestigious UPSC civil services examination.
Sreedhanya from Ambalakolli, a tribal settlement near Idiyamvayal in Wayanad district, is the second daughter of Suresh and Kamala, who are daily-wagers. Sreedhanya is nothing but willpower personified. Having studied in local Malayalam medium schools, Sreedhanya achieved her childhood dream of winning civil services exam through sheer will and confidence. She is also thankful to a bunch of people who inspired, supported and mentored her.
Having secured 410th rank in the all-India exams, Sreedhanya hopes to be picked for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). With her deep understanding of her homeland and its people, especially the tribal communities, one can surely say Sreedhanya will be the perfect administrator Wayanad can have one day.
Sitting in front of her dilapidated house, where you can reach only after walking nearly half a km, Sreedhanya speaks to Onmanorama about her path to success and hopes for future.
Q: Tell us about your schooldays and education.
A: I studied in Nirmala High School, Thariyode, until class 10. I did my higher secondary at Thariyode Government Higher Secondary School. I finished my graduation in Zoology from St Joseph’s College, Devagiri in Kozhikode , and post-graduation (Applied Zoology) from Calicut University campus.
Q: When did the IAS dream creep into your mind?
A: Since my childhood, I dreamed of winning civil services exam, but I had no clue about how to do it. I got an idea of the civil services after post-graduation.
Q: What was the real spark?
A: I had worked as a project assistant in the Scheduled Tribes department in Wayanad for a few months after I finished my PG. During those days, I got a chance to interact with Sreeram Sambasiva Rao, who was then Wayanad sub-collector and present Kozhikode collector. I was inspired by the respect he got from the people around. It actually ignited my passion to become an IAS officer. I had immense support from my family, teachers and friends to pursue my dream. I joined the Institute for Civil Services Examination Training Society at Mannanthala, Thiruvananthapuram, in October-November 2016 with the support of my friends and well-wishers. I had received financial aid from the government then.
Q: Family?
A: My father is a daily-wager. My mother Kamala also works under the MGNREG scheme. I have an elder sister, Sushitha, who is a last grade clerk at Ottappalam court. My younger brother Sreerag studies at a polytechnic in Wayanad.
Q: Who were your mentors?
A: There are a few. Munidarshan (faculty, Fortunes Academy), Umesh N S Kesavan, Satish Kumar Dogra (retired DGP, Tamil Nadu), and Thulasimani who helped me study Malayalam as my optional subject.
Q: Civil service attempts?
A: I attempted the exams for the first time in 2017 but it was unsuccessful. That year itself, I joined Fortune IAS Academy in Thiruvananthapuram. I had my mentoring for interview at Shankar IAS Academy in Thiruvananthapuram. I passed the exams and interview in 2018 with 410th rank. I went for interview in Delhi with Rs 40,000, part of which I had borrowed from friends and rest was gifted by some well-wishers.
Q: Will you get IAS?
A: I hope so. I have applied for Kerala cadre and am waiting for service allocation.
Q: How do you look at your achievement?
A: I think it's an inspiration for the whole tribal communities in Kerala.
Q: Tell us about your views on the education scene among tribals in Wayanad
A: I think there are a lot of opportunities for the tribespeople. There are Model Residential Schools and Ashram schools meant for tribal children. However, the number of children are more than what these schools can accommodate. I think the district needs one more residential school.
Q: It is learnt that there are a lot of dropouts.
A: The issue of dropouts is more among the Paniya tribe (Sreedhanya belongs to the Kurichya tribe). There are a lot of factors behind it. A main reason is linguistic barrier as higher secondary is only in English medium. Lack of parents' education and the fear of science group are some other reasons.
Q: What will be your priorities for Wayanad as a civil servant?
A: My first priority will be to improve the education of the tribal children because I firmly believe that only education can bring change in our living conditions. I will also work towards ensuring the land rights of the people, women's safety and conservation of the environment apart from trying to bring some sort of financial security of the people.
Q: Do you have your own land?
A: We are yet to get possession certificate. The procedures to get it issued are on.
Q: How was your interaction with Rahul Gandhi?
A: It was nice. We mainly discussed the tribal issues of Wayanad. He also asked me about my interview (Later, Rahul's sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also met Sreedhanya when she came to Wayanad for election campaigning).
Q: How do you look at the candidature of Rahul from Wayanad?
A: Wayanad has a lot of issues as well as possibilities. Former MPs who represented the region failed to introduce them in Parliament. I believe a leader like Rahul Gandhi representing Wayanad will bring a lot of good for the land. We will get a lot of national attention now.
Q: Can you list out the major issues being faced by the tribal communities of Wayanad?
A: Of course. Land issues are there. Alcohol consumption, poor education, unwed mothers, high rate of suicides, genetic disorders, shortage of drinking water and lack of income sources other than MGNREGS are a few to mention.
