Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS)

Content Description

This accession consists of official and personal letters, notices, administrative documents, newspaper clippings, reference documents, booklets, photographs (photographic prints, micro-film slides and negatives), legal documents and other curated material pertaining to the activities that were undertaken by or in association with the Wayanad Prakriti Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS) between 1981-2022. These documents were contributed by C C Mathew, Thomas Ambalavayal, Babu Mylampadi, A V Manoj Kumar, N Badusha and PK Uthaman. The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS) is an environmental organisation in the Wayanad district of Kerala. It comprises individuals dedicated to environmental conservation and activism. They have been active since the 1970s but were officially registered in 1983. They work with the locals to educate them about nature and create awareness about environmental issues in Wayanad. Initially, they worked to control the deforestation in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, which included clear-felling and selection-felling and expanded their activities to protect the flora and fauna of the region. Furthermore, WPSS is not just involved in the preservation of nature but also heritage, history and culture of Wayanad. For this, they worked with the archaeology department of Kerala, which led to excavations in and around Wayanad. They also co-founded the Edakkal Guha Samrakshana Samiti, which was aimed at preserving the prehistoric cave - Edakkal caves, with petroglyphs. Thus, WPSS is involved in a lot of activities in and around Wayanad, not just relating to the natural environment but also the social and cultural environment of the region. C C Mathew is a retired legal practitioner, who had served as the president of WPSS for around 10 years, right from its inception. He discontinued his association with WPSS due to personal reasons. His collection includes personal and official letters, notices, personal documents, references, legal documents, references, and handwritten notes pertaining to WPSS activities between the years 1980-1992. Thomas Ambalavayal is a farmer who was an active participant in various social and cultural activities, especially those associated with Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP). He resigned from these initiatives and joined WPSS, and has been an active member of the organisation for more than 40 years. He is currently the Secretary of WPSS. His material contains notices, letters, newspaper clippings, curated and organised materials around certain activities, research references, and booklets surrounding the activities of WPSS between 1986 and 2022. Babu Mylampadi is a retired bank manager, who has been an active member and has participated and supported all activities of WPSS from its infancy. His material consists of official and personal letters, photographs, notices, administrative documents, newspaper clippings, magazines, reference documents, file covers, and curated material pertaining to the activities that were undertaken by or in association with the Wayanad Prakriti Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS) between 1991-2010. He has also shared documents collected by D Gangadharan, who was a well-wisher of WPSS and had passed away recently. This collection specifically focuses on the Muthanga agitation that took place in 2003. It includes newspaper and magazine articles pertaining to the protest. M Gangadharan is a retired school teacher. He has played an integral role in the movements and activities led by WPSS since the 1980s. His material includes personal and official letters, notices, booklets, signature collections for campaigns, newspaper articles, and references to WPSS activities between 1986 and 2016. Manoj Kumar A V is a farmer, who has been taking part in WPSS activities for the past 30 years. He has also shared photographs taken by P K Uthaman. These photos are related to certain activities of WPSS and certain incidents around which the organisation led campaigns. The collection contains personal letters, photographs, notices, leaflets, and newspaper clippings between 1980 and 2016. N Badusha is a farmer who has been at the forefront of WPSS activities and movements, from its inception in the early 1980s. He is currently the President of WPSS. His collection includes personal and official letters, notices, booklets, newspaper articles, reference documents, and legal documents. Most of this material is from 2000 to 2022, except for one newspaper cutting which is from 1988. P M Suresh is a retired DFO who worked in and around Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. He worked with the WPSS and lent support to their activities in his capacity as a representative of the forest department. His materials include letters, notices,research references, media clippings, writings and audio- visual materials on Muthanga agitation. V D Mohandas is a photographer by profession who also used to do wildlife photography. His photographs are included in the collection. P U Joy is a well-wisher of WPSS. He runs the Modern Book Store and Modern Press in Wayanad. He has contributed notices to the collection. Abdul Wahab is a retired Forest official, who was integral to the functioning of WPSS from the 1980s to 2010s. Thereafter, he left the organisation due to personal reasons. His contributions include a couple of official letters, notices, and booklets from the 1990s to the 2010s. P K Uthaman is a core member of the WPSS. He was the person who stewarded the work of WPSS and also inculcated scientific temperament into the activities of the organisation. He has been a mentor and advisor of the WPSS for the longest time. His materials include photographs that he has taken.

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