Six beacons of hope

E Siddhamma

Sidhamma (in the red sari) took up the cause of Irula tribals in northern Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, the Irulas are snake charmers, and they have been forced to work as bonded labourers in the rice mills for three generations. Horrified at their plight in the rice mills, Sidhhamma led a movement of the Irula Workers' Association, which had as its symbol the Sarpam, or snake.

Over two years, the Association managed to free bonded workers from over 250 mills and forced them to shut down their sweat shops.

Irulas who have nowhere to go back to have been resettled in S K Nagar in 200 huts spread over 12 acres of wasteland in Oothukktottai area of Thiruvallur district. S K stand for Siddhamma and Krishnan, an Irula leader.

Sonia Gandhi with Sidhamma, Outlook Chairman Rajan Raheja and Editor in Chief Vinod Mehta