Kallen Pokkudan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kallen Pokkudan
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| Born | 1937 Pazhayangadi, Kannur, India
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| Died | 27 September 2015 |
| Other names | Kandal Pokkudan |
| Occupation | Environmental activist |
| Known for | Protection of Mangrove forests |
| Children | Three daughters and three sons |
| Parent(s) | Aringelyan Govindan Parotti Kallen Vellachi |
| Awards | P. V. Thampy Memorial Endowment Award Vana Mitra Award Haritha Vyakthi Award P. S. Gopinathan Nair Environmental Award A. V. Abdul Rahman Haji Award Kannur University Acharya Award Bala Sahitya Institute Award |
Kallen Pokkudan, also known as Kandal Pokkudan, was an Indian environmental activist and writer. He came from Kerala, a state in southern India. He became famous for his important work protecting and growing mangrove forests in Kerala. He started this mission in 1989.
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About Kallen Pokkudan
Kallen Pokkudan was born in 1937 in a small village called Iddukkil Thara. This village is near Pazhayangadi in the Kannur district of Kerala. He came from a tribal family. He only went to school until the second grade.
When he was 18, he became interested in communism. He joined a group that wanted to make big changes in society. He was part of many public movements and faced legal issues several times. In the 1980s, he decided to leave politics.
His Work for Mangroves
After leaving politics, Pokkudan dedicated his life to protecting the environment. He focused especially on the mangrove forests in Kerala. Mangroves are special trees and shrubs that grow in salty coastal waters. They are very important for the environment.
Pokkudan started a big project to plant mangroves all along the coast of Kerala. He is said to have planted over one lakh (which means 100,000) mangrove plants!
He also created the Mangrove School. Here, he taught people about why mangroves are so important for nature. He gave more than 500 classes across the state. His last book, Kandal Inangal, describes the different types of mangroves found in Kerala.
Films About His Life
Kallen Pokkudan's life story has inspired filmmakers. A 2012 film called Sthalam was made about him. He also appeared in Papilio Buddha, a 2013 film that looked at environmental and spiritual ideas.
His Family and Later Life
Pokkudan was married to Meenakshi. They had three daughters named Pushpalatha, Pushpavalli, and Rekha. They also had three sons named Anandan, Raghunath, and Sreejith. His youngest son, Sreejith Paithalen, helped him write two of his books.
Kallen Pokkudan passed away on September 27, 2015, at the age of 78. He died in Kannur. His wife had passed away before him. He was cremated at his home in Pazhayangadi.
His Books
Even though Kallen Pokkudan had very little formal education, he published several books. Other people helped him write them down. Two of his books tell the story of his own life:
- Ente Jeevitham (My Life)
- Kandalkkadukalkkidayil Ente Jeevitham (My Life Among the Mangrove Forests)
Other important books he wrote include Kandal Inangal (Mangrove Species) and Chuttachi. His life was also written about in a biography called Pokkudan Ezhuthatha Aathmakatha (The Unwritten Autobiography of Pokkudan). This book was written by Thaha Madayi in 2003.
Film About Kallen Pokkudan
A Malayalam language film titled Sthalam was released in 2011. This movie was based on the life of Kallen Pokkudan. It was written and directed by Kaviyoor Sivaprasad.
Awards and Recognition
Kallen Pokkudan received many awards for his environmental work. Here are some of them:
- P. V. Thampy Memorial Endowment Award (2001)
- Bhoomi Mitra award (2003)
- Vana Mitra (Friend of Forests) Award from the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department (2006). He was the first person to receive this award.
- Haritha Vyakthi (Green Personality) Award from the Government of Kerala (2010)
- P. S. Gopinathan Nair Environmental Award (2014)
- A. V. Abdul Rahman Haji award (2010)
- Acharya Award from Kannur University
- Bala Sahitya Institute Award
See also
- Mangrove theme park, Kannur
- Sthalam
- Papilio Buddha
