Pattom Colony at Kallar, near Nedumkandam, on the Kumily-Munnar state highway.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The high-range colonisation scheme that transformed the linguistic and socio-economic fabric of Idukki district marked its 70th anniversary on Monday.
Initiated in 1955 by Pattom Thanu Pillai, the then Chief Minister of Thiru-Kochi, the scheme aimed to boost agricultural output under the Grow More Food initiative. Over seven decades, it has reshaped the district’s socio-economic landscape and solidified Idukki’s place within Kerala. And, Pattom Colony here was created as a government settlement project under the scheme.
Government records reveal that the Thiru-Kochi administration advertised in newspapers, inviting families to join the initiative. Selected families were incentivised with five acres of land, ₹1,000 in cash, and farming equipment.
Hundreds of families, predominantly from central Travancore, migrated to Idukki. The official inauguration of Pattom Colony at Kallar, near Nedumkandom, was on January 20, 1955. The total land holding was divided into 1,397 blocks, with five acre each, and the houses in the colony came to be identified by the block names.
Though the government decided to stop using the word ‘colony’ to describe settlements last June, the people here wanted to retain the name as a tribute to Pattom Thanu Pillai.
Jiji K. Philip, former Idukki district panchayat president and writer, highlights the scheme’s role in shaping Idukki’s identity. “After Independence, there were discussions about reorganising States based on language. The large influx of Malayali families bolstered the Malayali population in Idukki, ensuring its inclusion in Kerala. Without this decision, Idukki might not have remained part of Kerala,” he says.
John Pullad, a 73-year-old resident of Pattom Colony and local historian, shares his experiences. “I arrived here as a five-year-old. To foster communal harmony, land was allocated in a way that ensured religious diversity. Farmers initially faced challenges such as wild animal attacks and other hardships, but today, Pattom Colony has become an integral part of the district,” he says.
In his book, Idukki Desham Charithram and Samskaram, historian Manoj Mathirappally notes that in 1955, the Tamil community was a dominant presence in Peerumade and Devikulam taluks.
“Tamils had migrated to Idukki to work as labourers on tea and cardamom plantations. Despite the migration of farmers from central Travancore to Idukki starting in 1912, they were unable to surpass the Tamil population. The high-range colonisation scheme helped shift this demographic balance,” he notes.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the colony, a year-long celebration began on Monday. Madhavikuttiyamma, 98, the lone surviving woman from the first group of land recipients, inaugurated a public meeting at SN Auditorium at Thookkupalam. Organisers note that only eight of the original land recipients from 1955 are alive today.
Published – January 20, 2025 08:43 pm IST