The government has initiated measures to establish a tribal anthropological research centre in Wayanad with a field station at Attappady.

The project, to be implemented in association with the Kolkata-based Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), seeks to make a detailed study of tribal communities in Kerala.  The field station will study the incidence of sickle cell anaemia and other genetic diseases among them.

AnSI Director Srivastava Vinay, Deputy Director Sasikumar, and Senior Human Ecologist Umeshkumar called on Minister for Tribal Welfare A.K. Balan here on Saturday and discussed the modalities of the proposal. The team later left for Wayanad.

The campus of the Institute of Tribal Studies and Research Centre at Sulthan Bathery is one of the possible locations for the project. Institute Director Pushpalatha informed the team that the proposal would be taken up with Calicut University.

The researchers later visited the Manthanam Adiya colony at Thirunelly and interacted with the residents. It was decided to take up a study of the tribe immediately. The incidence of sickle anemia among tribespeople in Wayanad would also be given priority.

A press note issued here said a seminar on the anthropology of tribespeople in the State would be held in August.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – May 19th, 2018