Padma Shri awardee Cheruvayal Raman, the renowned tribal farmer and conservationist celebrated as Kerala's "living paddy gene bank" for his lifelong efforts to preserve indigenous rice varieties, died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. He was 74.
Popularly known as 'Nellachan' (Father of Paddy) and affectionately called 'Ramettan', Raman belonged to the Kurichiya tribal community of Wayanad. His death prompted tributes from political leaders, agricultural experts and conservationists, who remembered him for protecting traditional farming practices and safeguarding rare paddy varieties threatened by changing agricultural patterns.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those who expressed grief over his death, recalling his contribution to preserving indigenous agricultural knowledge and his close association with the people of Wayanad.
๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Born in 1952 near Kammana village in Wayanad district, Raman began working in paddy fields at an early age and developed extensive knowledge of traditional cultivation methods despite receiving limited formal education. His conservation efforts gained momentum around 2000, when he began systematically collecting indigenous rice seeds that were gradually disappearing as farmers shifted towards commercially profitable crops.
Over the years, he preserved more than 50 traditional paddy varieties on his three-acre ancestral farm, transforming it into a living repository of agricultural biodiversity. Among the varieties he protected were Thondi, Chennelu, Gandhakasala, Jeerakasala and Kayama, each associated with distinctive characteristics and local farming traditions.
Unlike conventional seed banks, Raman preserved the varieties by cultivating them every season, ensuring that the seeds remained viable and continued adapting to local environmental conditions. He freely distributed seeds to other farmers, asking them to return a portion of their harvest to sustain the conservation cycle.
His efforts earned him the Padma Shri in 2023 for his contribution to agriculture and biodiversity conservation. He also received the National Plant Genome Saviour Award and several other honours recognising his work in sustainable farming.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ต๐๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ต๐ถ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ '๐ฅ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed deep sorrow over Raman's death, describing him as a dedicated guardian of Wayanad's indigenous agricultural heritage.
In a message on X, Gandhi said Raman had devoted his life to protecting traditional paddy seeds and preserving generations of Adivasi knowledge. He joined the people of Wayanad in mourning the loss of the conservationist, whom he affectionately referred to as Ramettan.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress MP from Wayanad, shared an emotional tribute recalling her personal relationship with Raman, who had affectionately called her his daughter.
She said Raman had touched her heart during their first meeting, following which she began calling him her "Malayali Acchan", or Malayali father. Recalling their last conversation about a month ago, Priyanka said Raman had asked her to visit him, but she had been unable to fulfil the promise because she had to cut short her Wayanad trip due to developments in Delhi.
Priyanka described him as a wise, dignified and courageous individual who stood firmly against discrimination and injustice. She recalled that Raman remained deeply concerned about the welfare of his community despite receiving numerous awards and honours.
She said he believed such recognition would hold little meaning unless the living conditions of his people improved. Remembering his knowledge of agriculture and pride in his cultural heritage, Priyanka said she would cherish his teachings and friendship.
"India has lost a noble son," she said.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Raman's work attracted attention from agricultural scientists, researchers and environmental organisations in India and abroad. His traditional knowledge of crop diversity and sustainable farming practices was recognised as an important contribution to protecting agricultural biodiversity.
In 2018, he presented his conservation work at an international gathering in Brazil, drawing attention to the importance of protecting indigenous crop varieties amid the expansion of commercial agriculture.
Despite national and international recognition, Raman continued living a modest life in his ancestral mud house, where he stored seeds using traditional methods. He remained committed to organic cultivation and preserving agricultural practices inherited from earlier generations.
His work assumed particular significance as Wayanad witnessed a steady decline in traditional paddy cultivation, with farmers increasingly shifting towards plantation and commercial crops because of economic pressures.
๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan also paid tribute to Raman, describing him as a guardian of rare paddy varieties who had dedicated his life to protecting nature and traditional agricultural knowledge.
Raman's death has renewed concerns among conservationists about the future of the indigenous seed collection he maintained through decades of personal effort. Agricultural experts have emphasised the importance of continued cultivation, scientific documentation and institutional support to ensure that the varieties he preserved are not lost.
He is survived by his wife, Geetha, and four children.
Raman's contribution extended beyond conserving seeds. By protecting traditional rice varieties and sharing them with farming communities, he helped preserve an important part of Kerala's agricultural heritage and demonstrated the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable food production.
His death marks the loss of a farmer whose work connected generations of traditional agricultural wisdom with contemporary efforts to protect biodiversity and strengthen the resilience of India's farming systems.