Climate, caste and the digital divide

For students in north Chennai, each disaster erases not just belongings but futures. And when digital proof is akin to survival, what happens when marginalised communities lose their devices, repeatedly?

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exist: not a single person surveyed knew the Greater Chennai Corporation’s emergency helpline number (1913). Zero knew where community kitchens operated during floods revealing a dangerous irony: the government has built a digital safety net that the people it’s meant to protect cannot reach.

Myth of the digital native

The assumption is that underlying schemes like Tamil Nadu’s laptop distribution programme — which ran from 2011 to 2018 before being discontinued — enables digital competence. It doesn’t. The unavailability of strong WiFi, data backup, and access to digital skills are to be taken into account. Virgil D Sami, executive director of Arunodhaya, who has worked with marginalised communities since 2015, saw the same transformation. “The laptop scheme was very helpful. When it stopped in 2018, it affected many children. T’ve seen students bring laptops for projects and learn to use them. Otherwise they have no access.” But she quickly adds, “But it must be supported by proper internet connectivity and awareness on how to use it.”