Odisha tribal girl making waves, pursuing graduation despite abject poverty

A Bonda tribal is making waves not only in her home state Odisha, but all over the country, as she is toiling hard under the scorching sun as a daily labourer to meet expenses for her higher studies, and chasing a dream to crack the Civil Services examination one day! 20-year-old Karma Muduli, who hails from a non-descript hamlet in Odisha's backward Malkangiri district, belongs to a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). She is among the four children of her poor parents who also work as daily wage earners.

Her 60-year-old father Buda Muduli is a small farmer and her 57-year-old mother Sukri lends a helping hand. Karma’s elder brother Bina studied up to Class 8 before dropping out. He works as a mason in Andhra Pradesh. Of the two younger sisters, Manguli, 17, had to discontinue her academic pursuits due to poor financial conditions, while 12-year-old Sima is a Class 7 student of Kadamguda Ashram School. It is the residential schools run by the Scheduled Tribe & Scheduled Caste department of the Odisha government which are the only hope for youngsters aspiring for education in a secluded hilly region where basic amenities are a far cry.

A video of Karma, who had come home - around 85 km from the district headquarters town of Malkangiri - during summer vacation, working as a daily labourer to meet study expenses had gone viral on social media. After her story hogged the social and electronic media, her plight caught the government's attention. Soon she got some monetary help from the state government to pursue studies. A resident of Padeiguda village under Khairput block in the district, Karma is a student of Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar, pursuing graduation.

A student of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste department-run Government Higher Secondary School at Govindpalli, Karma had topped in the Commerce stream of Class 12 board examination in the district securing a sparkling 82.66 per cent marks. Karma was a student of the Govt. SSD Higher Secondary School, Govindapalli, which had an encouraging result in Science and Commerce streams last year. She bagged 496 marks out of 600 in Commerce becoming the district topper and bringing pride and glory to her community. The school had felicitated Muduli for her achievement.

She became the first from the PVTG community to top an examination in the district. It’s a rare distinction for a tribe which lives away from the prying eyes of the urban world, reluctant to be exposed to the so-called civilised society. The literacy rate among the Bondas is a measly six per cent, as per the 2011 Census. Among women, it is even lower. That’s all the more reason to cheer for Karma who went on to be the top scorer in Plus Two Commerce in all of Malkangiri district.

Talking to Rural Voice she said, "Though I am getting some money from a charitable trust, it is still insufficient as about Rs 3,000 per month is required for daily expenses, hostel fees, university fees, study materials and others. I preferred to earn some money by doing work during summer vacation," says Karma, brimming with strong willpower and self-motivation. “We do not have cultivable land but my father tills others’ farms to earn and continuously supported our education,” she says, displaying a strong determination and rare grit. District officials have assured Karma that they will take care of all her expenses.

"I am told that the government will fund my studies from the chief minister's relief fund. Now, I will completely focus on my studies," she says. According to Malkangiri District Welfare Officer (DWO), Praful Kumar Bhujabal, Karma has been given a cheque of Rs 30,000. She will also get a laptop soon. The DWO said Karma was getting an annual stipend (post-matric scholarship) of Rs 13,000, which included Rs 10,000 for the hostel and Rs 3,000 for school fees. Her family has also been receiving livelihood support from Bonda Development Agency, Mudulipada, while her parents have been availing old age pension under MBPY (Madhu Babu Pension Yojana) scheme.

Like Karma, another girl from her community, Sumita Muduli, a Plus-III Arts student of Biju Patnaik College in Malkangiri, was also working as a labourer. She too has been assured scholarship by officials. For Karma, it was always about education. She completed primary and secondary education from Badbel High school at Khairput and stood second in the district in High School Certificate Examination in 2020, securing 57 per cent marks.

“Since my family finances were not good, I was initially reluctant to pursue higher studies but decided to carry on for the sake of my parents and the community,” she said. During her Plus Two days, Karma stuck to a rigorous regime. She would wake up at 3.30 am to study and finish the tasks given by teachers. She devoted at least 6-7 hours every day during her two years' stay in the hostel. Since I could not afford to buy copies, I would write with a pencil, erase them and write again on them,” she recalled. 

“I want to be a lecturer so that I can help guide youngsters of my region to educate themselves. I want to appear for the civil services examination too,” said the district topper, who also dreams of cracking the Civil Services examination one day. “Karma is a role model, a symbol of possibility, hope and transformation for her community,” noted Malkangiri Collector Vishal Singh, while felicitating her.