Palakkad: For Manikandan, a member of the Irula tribal community in Attappadi, buying a bus meant betting everything on a better future. He had pledged his wife's gold and borrowed money at a high interest rate, only to see his dream stalled by an unyielding system.

The bus has been lying idle for the past three months, and Manikandan is now struggling to pay even the monthly interest of ₹7,000.

Manikandan, son of Rangan of Choriyannur in Kottathara, had spent years working as a bus driver. After purchasing his own bus in 2022, he wanted to operate the service through Attappadi.

He sought the existing schedules of private buses that had earlier operated from Mulli on the Kerala border to Koravanpadi, and on the Kottathara, Puthur and Ummathampadi routes. However, he alleges that at a meeting attended by private bus owners, he was allotted an alternative timing that was commercially unviable.

Though he continued to operate the service at a loss for a long time, Manikandan says he can no longer continue. When he met Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar in person, the Minister assured him that a favourable stand would be taken to help retain the service after taking into account the rarity of a tribal man entering the transport sector. However, Manikandan claims that officials of the Motor Vehicles Department are unwilling to act on the Minister's assurance.

“Bus timings are finalised at timing conferences attended by other bus owners as well. After seeking the views of operators on the route, a schedule that is convenient to all is set. Under the leadership of two RTOs, timing conferences were held three times and a schedule was given to Manikandan, but he said none of them were acceptable," Palakkad RTO, C U Mujeeb.

Manikandan, however, maintains that this reflects a wider attitude towards members of the tribal community entering the sector. “Many people seem to think this is what should happen when a tribal community member buys a bus. The Minister told me that someone like me is a matter of pride. Officials, however, say I will never be satisfied with whatever timing is given. All I asked for was timing that is convenient for me and for the people of these settlements,” he said.