UNLETTERED MAN WHO PLANTED THOUSANDS OF MANGROVES
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| Kallan Pokkudan, Edakkeel Tharayil, Ezhom Panchayat, Kannur |
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Kallan
Pokkudan planted thousands of mangroves on the banks of Pazhayangadi
river in Kannur district with an aim that is both simple and profound:
“I wanted to prevent the river banks from eroding.
Besides, I wanted to protect the school children from the strong winds
that blew along the riverside road. Once
the trees grew up, it became a pleasing sight too.”
With
this aim this simple man planted many kilometer-long mangrove stretches.
Seeing him collecting mangrove seeds, many fashionable women used
to remark: “Poor fellow, he must have gone mad.”
But
Pokkudan was undaunted. He
used to think: True, this is an unbalanced state of mind.
But it is a madness that I love.
For I love mangroves so much.
Although
this 2nd standard dropout doesn’t know to read or write
Malayalam, his autobiography, ‘My life amidst mangroves’, has been
published recently. This book
abounds in original observations on Nature’s rhythms and birds and
rivers.
Pokkudan
was born at Edakkeel Tharayil, Ezhom Panchayat, Kannur.
After dropping out from school, he worked as an agriculture
labourer under a zamindar. He
was politically active for sometime, but left off politics and started
concentrating on environment from late eighties.
“I
like to be known as ‘Kandal’ Pokkudan.
I have planted quite a lot of mangroves.
Some people have destroyed part of it.
But I am not disheartened. It
is those who destroy that must feel disheartened,” he says.
Courtesy: P.Rajesh (text), Babu Kamprath (photo), Mathrubhumi, June 2, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
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