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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Muthuva Sanghamam marks largest gathering since revival of tribal collective
IDUKKI: For decades, the Muthuvan tribal community, spread across the forested high ranges of Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, and the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, had the will to demand their rights but allegedly lacked a collective voice. That changed in 2024 with the revival of the Muthuvan Adivasi Samudaya Sangham, an organisation now uniting hundreds of settlements under one banner to protect their culture, secure their rights, and push for development. The impact of that revival was on full display at Muthuva Sanghamam 2025, a three-day gathering at Chembakathozhukudi in Chinnakkanal that concluded on Sunday. Around 3,000 Muthuvans from nearly 140 settlements came together in what leaders call the biggest event since the Sangham's rebirth, timed to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. 'This event shows what unity can achieve,' said C. Rajendran, district panchayat member and state committee member of the Sangham. 'Our aim is to make our people aware of their rights and uphold our traditions. We have been treated as mere vote banks for too long. That will change,' he said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala's Muthuvan tribe comes together to protect their language, culture
A rare convention of the ingenious Muthuvan community has taken on a novel mission to protect their language and culture. The Muthuvan Adivasi Samudaya Sangam, an organisation of the community, is organising a three-day special conference that began at the Chempakathozukudy tribal settlement near Suryanelli in Munnar, on Friday. The event is being conducted as part of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9. C. Rajendran, a member of the Muthuvan Adivasi Samudaya Sangam (State committee), and a district panchayat member, stated that the convention decided to uphold the traditions of the community. 'We have decided to stick to our tribal language while conversing among ourselves. Besides, the members are also urged to adhere by our traditional culture,' he said. 'The convention also decided to adapt to the changes in the new world and hear the voices of elderly Kanis (tribal head) in each settlement,' said Mr. Rajendran. According to the organisers, over 2,000 community members from various parts were in attendance. Around 130 Kanis also represented their settlements. The tribal members who attended the event also wore their traditional attire. During the meeting, the community members stated that their tribe exists in harmony with the forests and wild animals, while ensuring its protection. Around 25,000 members of the Muthuvan tribal community are living in the Idukki, Ernakulam, and Thrissur districts, the organisers said. Writer and journalist M.J. Babu, who attended the inaugural meeting, said, 'Muthuvan tribal heads are known for their profound knowledge about the forests and wildlife. The community members played a crucial role in ensuring the protection of the Kanan Devan Hills and are continuing in that mission.' Kerala Police Academy director K. Sethuraman was the special guest of the meeting. Adimaly, assistant tribal development officer M. Kandaswami, inaugurated the public meeting. Munnar wildlife warden K.V. Harikrishnan delivered the tribal day message. Tribal poet Ashokan Marayur and journalist and writer M.J. Babu, among others, attended the conference. On the concluding day on Sunday, there will be a discussion about tribal education and farming. A Muthuvan tribal procession was held as part of the conference from Suryanelli to Chempakathozukudy.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Survey finds 1,365 Nilgiri tahrs in Kerala
The joint Nilgiri tahr census in Kerala and Tamil Nadu reported a population of 2,668 Nilgiri tahrs. According to Forest department officials, 1,365 tahr belong to Kerala and 1,303 to Tamil Nadu. The Eravikulam National Park (ENP) is home to the largest contiguous population of Nilgiri tahr in Kerala, numbering 841 individuals. Officials said that in 2024, the number of tahrs in the ENP was 827. Ninety percent of the tahr population in the State is found in the Munnar landscape alone. A major presence of tahrs in Tamil Nadu is reported in Mukurthi National Park and Grass Hills National Park, lying across the Kerala State border. The growing tahr population points out the need for interstate cooperation and coordinated management of Nilgiri tahr protected areas. Grassland availability The controlled burning practice in Eravikulam National Park (ENP) was behind the success of the increasing number of tahrs. According to officials, of the total 1,365 Nilgiri tahrs in the State 1,126 were found in the Munnar landscape. Of this, the ENP is home to 841 tahrs. Munnar Wildlife Warden K.V. Harikrishnan said the nutritious grasslands of the region are behind the success of the tahr population in the park. 'In the nexy three years, controlled burning will be conducted in 97 sq km area of the park. 'The grasslands of ENP become unsuitable for grazing every three years after completing the growth of the natural grass. Nilgiri tahr and other animals will not feed on such grass. Then, controlled burning was introduced in the grasslands of the park on a rotational basis. The practice is conducted after removing all animals from the grasslands,' said Mr. Harikrishnan. 'This year alone, 144 new tahr births were reported in the park. Newborn Nilgiri tahr calves are eating the newly grown grass from the grasslands. Besides ensuring food security for the Nilgiri tahrs, controlled burning also helps increase the productivity of these animals. Nilgiri tahrs are a major prey for tigers and leopards inside the ENP, which in turn helps maintain the population at a controlled level,' said the warden. The warden stated that the easy availability of prey inside the park has helped lessen the straying of tigers and leopards outside of the park and into human habitat. The Forest department first took up the controlled burning practice in Eravikulam around 30 years ago, based on the know-how of the Muthuvan tribal communities, said officials. Standardised survey techniques The joint population estimation of Nilgiri tahrs was conducted continuously for four days in 89 census blocks in Kerala and 182 census blocks in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, the census was conducted in 19 forest divisions, from Thiruvananthapuram to Wayanad, and all reported the presence of Nilgiri tahr. 'The use of standardised techniques such as the 'Bounded Count and 'Double Observer' methods contributed to improved data reliability of the tahr survey,' said an official. According to officials, historically, Nilgiri tahr occupied a wider range across the Western Ghats, much of which has been lost to plantations, infrastructure development, and land-use change. The Population Estimation 2025 aimed to explore historically known areas and gather information on fragmented tahr populations, as well as the potential for re-establishing habitat connectivity to restore these populations. The survey also discovered the biodiversity richness of tahr habitats, which host apex predators such as the tiger, leopard, and dhole, as well as endemics like the Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque. Minister for Forests and Wildlife Protection A.K. Saseendran released the census report on Tuesday at Thiruvananthapuram during the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ENP in Munnar.
New Indian Express
01-08-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Muthuvan Krishnan, enduring face of Kerala's conservation story, dies at 95
IDUKKI: Long before Munnar became synonymous with tea, two Muthuvan tribesmen — Kanan and Devan — guided British planters through the hills, lending their names to the Kanan Devan range. Nearly a century later, another Muthuvan by the name Krishnan played a pivotal role in shaping the legacy of the region — by protecting its forests. Fondly called Krishnan Thatha, he was a trusted guide for forest officials, leading them through dense forests to remote tribal hamlets inside what is now Eravikulam National Park. On Thursday morning, Krishnan died of age-related illness. He was 95. Krishnan's deep knowledge of the terrain proved invaluable during the Eravikulam park's establishment in 1978, making him a quiet yet enduring face of Kerala's conservation story. Back in the 1970s, when poaching and sandalwood smuggling plagued the Eravikulam and Marayur forest ranges, Krishnan became the forest department's most reliable ally. Runners used the treacherous Eravikulam-Edamalakkudy route to move sandalwood to areas such as Mankulam and Anakkulam, but Krishnan would tip off officials and even help track down culprits hiding in forest caves 'Whenever Krishnan received alerts, he would immediately inform the department and help capture smugglers. He knew every inch of the terrain, including the caves that poachers used to escape,' recalled a forest official. Krishnan's connection to the wild was rooted in commitment. A strong believer in conservation, he worked tirelessly to protect the fragile ecology of Eravikulam, including the rare Neelakurinji, which blooms once every 12 years. Not only did he guard the bloom from disturbances, but he also educated fellow Muthuvans on the importance of preserving the endemic shrub species.
The Hindu
26-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
For five tribal settlements in Munnar, proper road is a distant dream
In a stark reminder of the brutal realities faced by indigenous communities, L. Gandhi Ammal, a tribal woman from the remote Valsapettykudy tribal settlement in Anamudi Shola National Park under the Munnar Wildlife Division, writhed in pain for hours with no ambulance in sight — because there is no proper road. Injured on the way to the MGNREGS work, she was finally carried to the nearest hospital in Marayur on a bamboo stretcher by over 50 fellow tribespeople, trudging six kilometres through treacherous terrain. This ordeal unfolds as monsoon rains leave nearly 330 Muthuvan tribal families in five settlements cut off from basic services, trapped in isolation by the government's failure to build a proper road. According to Idukki block panchayat member C. Rajendran, there is a motorable road from Vattavada to Chilanthiyar and from Ollavayalkudy to Marayur. Between Chilanthiyar and Ollavayalkudy, which is a 13-km stretch, there are tribal settlements such as Valsapettykudy, Moolavallikudy, Vayaltharakudy, Swamiyaralakudy, and Koodallarkudy which are struggling for want of a proper road. One has to travel 103 kilometres to reach these settlements through the Munnar-Marayur route. Former Vattavada grama panchayat president R. Ramaraj alleged that officials from the Munnar wildlife division were obstructing the road construction intended for tribal settlements. 'People's representatives and local people tried to build a motorable road on the 13-kilometre stretch, but the Forest department opposed it. The five tribal settlements were isolated in the heavy rainfall. If the tribespeople need to visit other settlements, they must either walk several kilometres or travel over 100 kilometres via the Munnar route,' according to Mr. Ramaraj. Sources said the government had allotted ₹18.5 crore for the construction of a road connecting Chilanthiayar-Ollavayal through Valsapettykudy. 'However, the Forest department mandated that permission be obtained through the Parivesh portal for the road's construction. The funds were then redirected to another project,' they said. Mr. Rajendran said that due to the absence of a proper road, children in the five settlements had to be shifted to hostels at the age of five to attend school. 'If we construct a proper road, the children can live with families and reach the school through the government-arranged Vidyavahini project,' he said. Forest dept. version Meanwhile, Munnar Wildlife Warden K.V. Harikrishnan said the construction of a proper road connecting to the settlements would require 3.5 hectares of forestland. 'The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) can provide one hectare of land for development activities. If more land is needed, the user agency of the project should submit an application to MoEF through the Parivesh portal for permission. The Forest department will not oppose the road construction,' said Mr. Harikrishnan.
