Cardamom in Gavi plantation. | PHOTO CREDIT: LIJA KAMAL
Gavi, a distant forest village set deep inside the Sabarimala forests, witnesses a boiling distance between the plantation workers and the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) officials.
All tourism -related activities in Gavi have come to a complete stop after the employees of the connection to the ecotourist center have launched an indefinite strike and increased multiple requirements. The workers claimed that KFDC moved them to plantation duties, although several tasks remain in the ecotourist center.
The accusation of the corporation of neglect and their basic needs, such as providing raincoats and shoes, staff claimed that corporations have a modest consideration for solving their complaints, mainly because the current division manager, ecotourism manager and manager assistant is due for promotion and is not willing to intervene.
Approximately 280 people work under KFDC in Gavi, which manages ecotourism centers in Gavi and Koch Pamp, along with cardamom plantations in Meenar. Of these, there are about 60 temporary employees. Although the discussion took place in the presence of officials at the police station Moozhiyar, no agreement has been achieved yet. However, it was decided that no tourists would be brought to the finish until the strike was resolved.
End of the tourist season
KFDC, however, attributed a blockage of a small proportion of workers who reportedly do not want to return to the plantation work. “A handful of them, deployed in ecotouristic centers temporarily, is not willing to work on plantations, even if they are not tourists at all. This is what has led to the current attack of unrest,” said KFDC official.
According to the clerk, the monsoon season is the beginning of a major period for organic cardamom plantations in the region. “Yet some workers show little interest in plantation duties because they consider tasks related to tourism.
When contacting the CEO of KFDC Georga P. Mathachan, he said that the official level was made efforts to solve the dead end. “The District Labor Office convened a meeting and we hope to find a resolution soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, agitation staff threatened to expand the strike to the KOCHA PAMP, unless the dispute is extended.
Published – 16 June 2025 20:02
