A 100-year-old former freedom fighter now spends his days working on his farmland in the high ranges of Idukki district in Kerala, along with his octogenarian wife.
A 100-year-old former freedom fighter now spends his days working on his farmland in the high ranges of Idukki district in Kerala, along with his octogenarian wife.
Way back when he was a young man in his 20s, Kalappurackal Pappachan (also known as Antony Devassya officially), joined the freedom movement spearheaded by Pottakkulam Mathayichan in 1944.
In fact, he was even thrown into jail for 10 days in Mundakkyam, an experience that made a fighter out of him.
Later, Pappachan dropped out of school after his mother passed away. He moved out from his native place Pala and came to Idukki in 1952. Here, he leased some land in Kattappana and started farming. At this point, he was all alone in his efforts, with no support from his family. But he stuck to his passion, despite famine threatening to ruin his crops.
Once his work began to yield good results, Pappachan’s four younger siblings also decided to buy some land near him. They bought 20 acres at Valiyathovala and started farming all essential crops, including paddy in 1955. In 1956, Pappachan married Thressyamma, who became his biggest and strongest support in life.
Today, Pappachan cannot imagine missing even a single day tilling his farmland along with Thressyamma. his partner of 60 years. Both husband and wife are in good health, thanks to the simple but tough life that they lead.
“It’s my farming that helped me live through thick and thin. So I cannot imagine a day without working on the land,” Pappachan said to the The New Indian Express.
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