Affectionately known as ‘Ramettan’, the tribal farmer spent a lifetime safeguarding rare indigenous paddy varieties against the tide of modern monoculture

Cheruvayal K. Raman, the celebrated tribal agriculturalist and Padma Shri recipient who dedicated his life to rescuing dozens of native rice varieties from extinction, passed away at the age of 76 on Oct 14, 2026.

Known across Kerala simply as “Ramettan” (elder brother Raman), he was a towering figure in India’s grassroots biodiversity movement. From his modest ancestral farm in the hills of Wayanad, Raman stood as a quiet bulwark against industrial agriculture, preserving the genetic heritage of the region’s indigenous seeds through decades of changing climate and commercial pressures.

In 2023, the President of India awarded him the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, in recognition of his vital contributions to seed conservation and sustainable, zero-chemical, traditional farming practices.

Without formal scientific training, Raman operated what agricultural scientists often described as a living gene bank. Cultivating rare, heritage paddy strains passed down through generations of the Kurichya tribal community, he insisted that traditional seeds were not personal property, but a shared ecological inheritance meant to be planted, harvested, and shared freely with future generations. Raman collected 55 indigenous varieties, many of which were nearly extinct.

Tributes have poured in from across the state’s agricultural, environmental, and spiritual communities. On 15 October 2026, Brahmacharini Deekshitamrita Chaithanya, representing the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, visited the Cheruvayal Kurichya ancestral home in Kammana village to pay respects and offer condolences to his bereaved family.

Raman’s passing marks the end of a vital chapter in India’s indigenous conservation history, leaving behind a living legacy in the fields of Wayanad and the countless farmers he mentored in the art of traditional cultivation.