Wayanad: Amid growing criticism over poor facilities, authorities on Thursday temporarily shifted 36 students of Classes 5, 6, and 7 from the Asramam Government Tribal Residential High School in Tirunelli to the nearby Model Residential School (MRS) at Kaniyambetta.

A special KSRTC bus service has been arranged to transport the students daily, and four bio-toilets were installed at the Asramam School premises by Thursday afternoon to improve sanitation for the remaining students.

The shift highlights long-standing issues at the Asramam School. Around 127 girl students have been living in just three classrooms with only one toilet for months, after the Public Works Department (PWD) declared the hostel unfit for use in July, warning that it could collapse at any time. Following this, the Tribal Department ordered the relocation of students to an unfinished facility at Aralam Farm in Kannur.

The decision drew widespread criticism from opposition parties and tribal rights activists. Minister for Scheduled Tribes Development O R Kelu approved the move and sanctioned ₹23 lakh for the electrification of the new facility. However, three months later, the electrification remains incomplete, forcing students to continue living in congested classrooms.

Defending the decision, Minister Kelu told Onmanorama, “There are sufficient buildings at Aralam, but the electrification works and KSEB connection took time. Other arrangements are still in progress. Once all facilities are ready, the children will be shifted.”

The government’s handling of the matter has faced sharp criticism. Congress leader and former minister P K Jayalakshmi called the situation “a blatant human rights violation” and questioned the conditions of other tribal children across the state. Jayalakshmi also pointed out a model residential school complex built at Makkimala in 2014, which has remained abandoned despite several crores being spent.

A tribal mother who preferred anonymity told Onmanorama that such neglect happens because the authorities do not consider the Paniya and Adiya tribes as human beings."We belong to the lowest rung among the tribal communities. They want our children to be deported from our land, so that we will never rise socially or compete for the jobs reserved for tribal communities", she said. "If our children are uprooted from Wayanad, many will drop out of the education system and remain as slaves of the upper class forever, " she added.

The school, managed by the Department of Scheduled Tribe Development, accommodates 253 students from Class 1 to SSLC, primarily from the Adiya and Paniya tribal communities.

Priyanka Gandhi criticises relocation
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the decision to shift the students from Wayanad to Kannur. In a letter to Minister Kelu, she warned that the move would lead to dropouts, as many families cannot afford frequent travel to Kannur. “These students have excelled both academically and in sports despite immense challenges. They deserve quality education close to their homes,” she wrote, praising their resilience and determination to overcome adversity.