Tribal Development Programme
The tribal clan has an important position in the history of the cultural heritage of Wayanad. Being the owners of lands in the yester years, they were self sufficient in themselves that they even had a genuine culture of their own. Nature's children, as they are known, led a life that was best suited for preserving the freshness and beauty of uninhabited forests and woodlands. Today, the existence of tribal is questioned due to the necessary social evils like capitalism, consumerism and migration in large number. Tribal Development is another major thrust area, where the ultimate aim is to create critical consciousness among the tribal community by instilling the habit of thrift and savings. Other programme promoted among the tribal community is leadership promotion, awareness creation and livelihood enhancement. We could promote all this empowerment works without affecting their indigenous and rich culture. At present we have development interventions in 175 tribal hamlets in Wayanad. The native adivasis mainly includes the Paniyas, Kurumas, Ooralis, Kattunaickas, Adiyas etc. They have their own distinct ways life styles, culture, customs, traditions and religious practices. They constitute about 17.43% of the total population of Wayanad.