Now that Marthandam Kayal is in the eye of a storm, one cannot help but remember the man who was responsible for its existence, Murikkummootil Thommen Joseph, popularly known as Murikken or Krishi Raja (king of agriculture), a title conferred on him by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru. He belonged to Kavalam, in Kuttanad, once the rice bowl of Kerala. I first heard about him from his granddaughter who happened to be a close friend, classmate and boarding mate in school. Back then, I was too young to understand the magnitude of what this great man had done. It was only later that I realised how his name got inextricably entwined with the agricultural history of Kuttanad.
Murikken’s fame spread far and wide due to his gargantuan efforts in reclaiming land from the Vembanad Lake in Kerala along with a few like-minded farmers, in response to a call to somehow find land for paddy cultivation to meet the requirements of the state. Due to the topography of the area, a novel method of reclaiming land was considered. For this, a group of pioneering farmers including Murikken went to Holland to study the unique system practised by the Dutch, who cultivated crops below sea level with the help of dikes, or thick walls of mud and stone, that separated each unit of land, with a controlled watering system.
A similar method was adopted in Kuttanad where the river was at a higher level than the paddy fields which were reclaimed from the lake. One can imagine the arduous task of diverting the water and preparing the slushy ground to form cultivable land at a time when earthmovers were non-existent. Murikken alone reclaimed over 2,000 acres of land and hence was awarded the title. It was a golden era for Kuttanad as the people had plenty to eat, besides having their social, economic and spiritual matters taken care of, thanks to Murikken’s multifaceted commitment to society.
Unfortunately, the fortunes of Murikken fell prey to land reforms of subsequent governments, which annexed most of his lands and distributed them to the labourers and small farmers who did not have the means to cultivate them. The land remained fallow for years, ultimately falling into the hands of rich businessmen who converted them into business ventures.
The man, once the pride of the state, died an early death, crushed by the turn of events. Marthandam Kayal, now a water theme park, is now in the custody of tycoons who probably don’t realise the sweat and toil that has gone into its existence. It is disquieting when one man reaps what another man sows, especially when it was not a willing handover.