If you are in the audience watching the tribal dance of the kaadu kurubas held at our Kabini resort thrice a week, your attention is likely to be held as much by the demeanor and proud carriage of its presenter as by the performance itself. Manju, as he is fondly called by all, is a native kaadu kuruba who now works full time for our resort as the coordinator of our tribal programs and as a naturalist and guide on our jeep and boat safaris. Who better than an indigenous forest dweller to be able to tell you about the forest and its inhabitants, common and rare?
On a visit to his native tribal village you will learn from him about the unusual history and simple ways of his ancestors who were hunter gatherers for a long time until quite recently. The kurubas and other forest dwellers of the region were resettled in 1974 by the Government and given small tracts of land to cultivate and begin a new life. A local NGO started a school for the children of the resettled tribal communities in an attempt to make integration easier.
Manju is a first generation product of this institution who went on to college, though did not finish. He is multilingual and speaks about four languages including English that even our overseas visitors comprehend well.
He is an example to other tribal youth and a spokesperson for his community. Individuals like him, we believe, will be the bridge between the past and an emerging new future for his people. We are lucky to have Manju join us in as much as he is happy to work with us. There are four other tribal boys who have joined us after Manju, drawn and inspired by him. May their tribe increase!
