Sometime in the early 1980s, when Indira Gandhi was the country’s prime minister, there was a human rights crisis brewing in the hills of Wayanad, Kerala. Wayanad, a tourist paradise, is home to a large number of adivasis or indigenous tribal people. But over the years, greedy landlords in the area have often subjugated them and used them as bonded labour. They were even sold as labourers to tea plantations. When this exploitation came to the notice of the government, a rescue operation was mounted and the tribal people liberated.
Priyadarshini Tea Estate, eponymous of the then Prime Minister, was founded as a co-operative to rehabilitate the indigenous tribes by giving them shelter and employment. Elected tribal people were part of the estate’s board to empower them in participative governance. But, the initial welfare momentum did not last long. Corruption and mismanagement plagued Priyadarshini. With no work and no income, the worker families started going hungry.
The government intervened again. The state decided to bring the estate under the direct supervision of the sub collector of the area. A new IAS officer, Prasanth Nair, fresh from his IAS training, took charge as Managing Director, Priyadarshini Tea Estate, in 2009.
Nair wanted to make nutritious food available to the workers. But there was no budget for it nor could he expect the workers to pay for it. Food had to be provided free of cost. He scoured for ideas and his eureka moment came when he hit upon the idea of connecting tribal well-being with tourism. There is a bungalow on the Priyadarshini estate, built for its Managing Director. But neither Nair nor his predecessor had ever used the bungalow since they had their sub-collector’s residence.
The bungalow had just four rooms, but the building and the 400 acre tea estate carried their own unmatched charm. A few tribal youngsters were trained to become guides. Some were even sent far down the hills to learn to become chefs. Slowly, tourists started coming in and Wayanad County became a much sought-after resort.
Prasanth Nair and his team also built new houses for the workers, getting rid of the earlier dilapidated shelters. Bank accounts were opened for every worker. Wayanad Tea County added more rooms and brought in more tourists throughout the year.
