Skip to main content

Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS) Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-014

Content Description

Series in WPSS collections are structured around the form of documents while also acknowledging the provenance of the records. The collection is arranged into the following series: Correspondence Administration Legal Documents Notices, pamphlets and booklets Research References Muthanga Media Coverage Media Coverage-WPSS and Writings, essays, notes, talks and addresses by WPSS members. Audio- Visual Materials

Each subseries in every series is arranged according to the provenance (to acknowledge the source of the material). The first series is correspondence and contains letters from C C Mathews, Thomas Ambalavayal, Babu Mylambadi, N Badusha, N Gangadharan, Manoj Kumar, P M Suresh and Abdul Wahab. The correspondence series also contains Right to Information (RTI) documents that different members of WPSS had sent to Public Information Officers. The protection and conservation of Edakkal caves has been a particular concern of WPSS. There are several documents pertaining to the caves in the collection. The WPSS, with help from historians like Raghava Warrier and Rajan Gurukkul, had taken up excavation work in different parts of Wayanad to understand the region's ancient history. They had also set up a heritage museum, the correspondence relating to which is available in the correspondence series under the sub-series - Thoman Ambalavayal. The second series is Administration and contains seven sub-series named after Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, N Gangadharan, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi and P M Suresh. The third Legal Documents series has been divided into the following subseries N Badusha, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi and Abdul Wahab. The fourth series is Notices, Pamphlets and Booklets. Each sub-series consists of folders that contain notices and other public engagement material arranged chronologically from the same years. The sub-series in this series are Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, N Gangadharan, Modern Joy, Manoj Kumar A V, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi, P M Suresh, and Abdul Wahab. The next series is Research References. Most of the material in this series are magazines and journals on Ecology and Nature. It has six sub-series- Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi, and P M Suresh. The next series is on Muthanga Media Coverage and contains media clippings related to an Adivasi land rights agitation. The Adivasis had convened on February 19, 2003, under the banner of Adivasi Gothra MahaSabha (AGMS), to protest the Kerala government's failure to grant them the land for which a contract had been signed in October 2001. Kerala Police fired 18 shots into the crowd during the protest, killing two people instantly, including a police officer. The two sub-series are Babu Mylambadi and B Gangadharan. The next series is on Media Coverage of activities related to WPSS. It also contains clippings on the formation of WPSS and the various undertakings of WPSS. The sub-series are Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, N Gangadharan, Manoj Kumar A V, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi and P M Suresh. Media clippings have been arranged chronologically. The sub-series on Thomas Ambalavayal has media clippings on the Edakkal Caves. The next series is Writings, essays, notes, talks and addresses by WPSS members. The sub-series are Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, C C Mathew, Babu Mylambadi, P M Suresh. It contains drafts of N Badusha’s biography and other writings on different topics, including environment, climate change, wildfires, etc. The final series contains audio-visual materials. The sub-series are Thomas Ambalavayal, N Badusha, M D Mohandas, P M Suresh and P K Uthaman.

Dates

  • Creation: 1983 - 2022

Creator

Biographical / Historical

The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS) is an environmental organisation based in Wayanad district in the state 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 thenatural environment and create awareness about environmental issues in Wayanad. Initially, they worked to control 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 Kerala State Department of Archaeology, which led to excavations in and around Wayanad. They also co-founded the Edakkal Guha Samrakshana Samiti, which was aimed at preserving the prehistoric Edakkal Caves, with petroglyphs. Thus, WPSS is involved in several 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 for 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 Mylambadi 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 B 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 Divisional Forest Officer (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 material includes 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. His materials include photographs that he has taken.

Extent

7 Linear Feet (11 Archival boxes + one oversize cabinet)

Language of Materials

Malayalam

English

Arrangement

The intellectual arrangement strives to preserve the provenance and original order of the papers. Where an original order could not be found, the Archives have applied for an order, and folders within the sub-series are arranged usually in chronological or alphabetical order. See the Scope and Content section for details.

Physical Location

Archives at NCBS

Title
MS-014 Wayanad Prakriti Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS) Papers
Author
Abhijith AV, Parvathy V
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Archives at NCBS Repository

Contact:
National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Bangalore Karnataka 560065 India
+9180 6717 6010
+9180 6717 6011