Historians recall Rajiv Gandhi's role in protecting Wayanad's Edakkal caves as admin orders demolition of illegal structures in mountains

Thiruvananthapuram: Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and her predecessor Rahul Gandhi have more than one reason to cheer over the Wayanad district administration's decision to demolish illegal constructions in the Ambukuthimala near the popular Edakkal caves as historians recollected how their father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi intervened to stop quarrying in the mountains.

"But for the intervention of then Prime Minister in the mid 1980s, the Edakkal caves and Ambukuthimala could have suffered massive destruction by now," recollects known historian Rajan Gurukkal, who was part of the stir for protecting the region.

Rajiv Gandhi's intervention was very crucial as even the then Congress government in Kerala was not in favour of stopping quarrying in the region, Gurukkal, who is now serving as the vice chairman of Kerala Higher Education Council, told DH.

It was following massive quarrying and other illegal activities in the Ambukuthimala and the Edakkal caves that historians like Gurukkal and M R Raghava Varier launched a stir for protecting the region. The Edakkal caves known for the stone age carvings had even received the attention of renowned historians like M G S Narayanan, Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib.

Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (Wayanad nature protection forum) president N Badusha, who was also part of the stir, said that even as the then district collector Raveendran Thampi issued orders banning quarrying activities in the region, the Congress government led by K Karunakaran was not in favour of the ban. Hence the ban was lifted and the collector also faced action.

Subsequently, the historians brought the matter to the attention of Rajiv Gandhi and he swiftly directed the state government to protect the region. Hence the state government was forced to stop quarrying and the state archeology department took over the Edakkal caves, which has now become a major tourist attraction.

Badusha said that the order to demolish seven resorts should serve as an eye opener to the political leadership in ensuring nature's protection while trying to boost tourism.

The Mananthavady sub collector and sub divisional magistrate on December 17 ordered demolition of seven resorts within 15 days. The buildings and related structures like ponds of the seven resorts were found to be constructed in the high hazard zone - 500 metre buffer zone of the landslide susceptibility zone published by the Kerala Disaster Management Authority.