Arakuzha
Grama Panchayat

History of the Grama Panchayat

Evidence of human habitation dating back to ancient times—even as early as the B.C. era—can be found in the Thottakkara Mahadevan Temple and the Arakuzha Church, which is over 1,500 years old. This region serves as a cradle of religious harmony, where Hindus and Christians live side by side. The ancient Arakuzha Church and the Edamanakkurishu stand as testaments to the history of Hindu-Christian unity.

While agriculture and fishing were the primary occupations here for millennia, the local lifestyle has undergone profound changes over the past five decades. The arrival of electricity and improved transportation facilities—developments that accompanied the progress of the post-independence era—brought about massive shifts in living conditions. As total literacy and higher education opportunities became available, government service or white-collar jobs became the preferred career paths; consequently, interest in traditional farming waned. With agriculture becoming less profitable, farmers shifted towards cash crops, and the workforce in the agricultural sector dwindled significantly. Ultimately, the village transformed into a purely consumer-oriented community. However, a significant shift in interest towards agriculture emerged after 2005, when the Grama Panchayat took the initiative to establish an agricultural market at Pandappilly—the village's traditional marketplace. This venture proved to be a massive success, not only catalyzing a major leap in the local agricultural sector but also fostering an agricultural culture that served as a model for the entire state. The village's character underwent a transformation as vocational educational institutions sprang up over the last few decades, giving rise to a generation of highly educated and technically skilled youth who sought employment opportunities abroad.

The people of Arakuzha actively participated in the freedom struggle from its very inception; prominent figures among them included K.V. Joseph Kochikkunnel, Cheriyan Cherkottu, George Chanthyam, and Kumaran Aachakkottil. Mary Roy, who secured the landmark Supreme Court verdict establishing that Christian daughters have an equal right to paternal property alongside sons, was also a woman from this region—a place where women were accorded dignity and respect.

People participated in the first Panchayat election of 1953 with great enthusiasm, though subsequent elections saw a declining trend in voter turnout. However, the formal establishment of Grama Panchayats later led to massive participation and high voting percentages in elections.

The region boasts a tradition of collective action, where agricultural work, festivals, road construction, and public infrastructure projects were all undertaken through community cooperation and unity. Subsequently, construction activities shifted into the hands of contractors, and public participation waned. However, with the implementation of the 'People's Planning' initiative by panchayats, public involvement and investment in the construction sector have returned, fostering hope among the people that they can actively participate in the region's development process. The positive impact of the changes sweeping across the country is evident in our village as well.

Here, we assess the state of the agricultural sector—which is struggling for breath—the industrial sector, which is constrained and unable to surge forward, and the service sector, which needs revitalization. The 'Nava Kerala Mission' aims to provide constructive solutions to issues faced by the public. There are indeed many challenges. We must be capable of implementing a vision formulated with composure, maturity, and foresight; after all, our heritage provides a sufficiently strong foundation for this.

**Landscape and Resources**

1. **Landscape:** The land within the panchayat can be categorized into three types: high-level terrain, sloping areas, and valleys. Areas where the distinction between high ground and slopes is blurred are generally classified as rocky terrain. The valleys can essentially be described as paddy fields.

**High-level Terrain:** This type of land is found in all wards of the panchayat. Soil fertility here has declined due to heavy rainfall and farming practices that lacked adequate soil conservation measures. Areas that were once covered with various types of scrub and grass have now largely been converted into rubber plantations. Highlands of the Panchayat:

Oolakkunnu, Mailadumpara, Aroormala, Pottanmala, Nedumparamala, Chelapuzha Mala, Kurishumala, Kopammala, Chatham Kottumala, Plakkithadam, Palamala, Kozhimala, Kuzhingarandu, Nedumala, Kumbalathalamala, Karimala, Kathinammala, Pringattimala, Tharishukunnu, Chirakkunnu.

b) Valleys:

The valleys here consist of paddy fields reached after descending the slopes from the highlands. Major paddy fields in the Panchayat include: Meenkunnam Padam, Varakkappilly Padam, Aroor Puncha, Lakkodu Padam, Arakuzha Padam, Thottakkara Padam, Chanthyam Padam, Madangu Padam, Edamana Padam, Ucheli Padam, Peringhazha Padam, and Panjappadam.

c) Sloping Lands:

Sloping lands are the areas situated between the highlands and the paddy fields; they exist in all wards. These areas, which were once cultivated with coconut, areca nut, black pepper, ginger, aromatic ginger (kacholam), tapioca, elephant foot yam, and greater yam, have now largely been converted into rubber plantations. The coconut trees that used to stand interspersed among the crops are disappearing. The areca nut and black pepper plants that existed previously are gone. Areca nut cultivation has commenced in a few locations where irrigation facilities are available. Nutmeg and cocoa are cultivated in only a very few places.