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Anita Nair

Gopinath Parayil

Prakash M

Sankaran M

Sujith Kumar


About us:
A visit five years ago to the bathing ghats of Tiruvavaya, along the Bharathapuzha for offering last rituals for his father changed the world of one of the promoters of Nila Foundation in a jiff. While struggling to wet a little bit of his body in the shallow water which was once upon a time a beautiful river called Nila, he saw in front of his eyes a river yearning for care and attention. The human greed had wiped away every little drop of water from her river bed, that one of the local newspaper on that day had carried a head line story on the river "River Nila : a river that is not even useful for libation".

That particular moment triggered the last five years of our work to bring together like-minded people who were passionate about rivers on a common platform. Rather than looking for someone to solve the issues linked to nature and lifestyle, it was time to be in the ground to understand and be the positive change. We wanted to know what was happening to the rivers in Kerala, and especially, if there is something we could do for the rivers. This resulted in the informal gathering of Nila Foundation. During this journey many joined us, some stayed through out the course, and some left in anguish and as you read this, a new breed of conscious, concerned volunteers are joining us to help conserve the nature, especially rivers of this land.

We wanted to ensure that the stories of Nila were heard, not just in Kerala, but in rest of the world as well. As we were scouting for various options to ensure financial stability for the foundation, we ventured into Responsible tourism to explore it as a tool for sustainable development. This initiative brought together various communities in the three districts of Malappuram, Thrissur and Palakkad. There were musicians, ritualistic healers, performers, environment activists, farmers and hydrologists. They helped us understand Nila better, the river and beyond.

After five years, we are glad to introduce you to Puzha Malayalam - a study on the status of rivers in Kerala.
 

   

The team:


Anita Nair: On her involvement with the foundation "As a child, the river was my playpen. In its shallow pools and on its bank, I discovered a world of continuity. No matter what changed, Nila, a turgid sweep during the monsoon and a trickling stream in the summer month, would always be there. I had always thought of the Nila as my river - the leitmotif of permanence in my life and here seemed a way to marry memory with reality. A river with a chuckle as it thought of what else it was going to fill my life with..." Anita is one of our trustees. www.anitanair.net


Gopinath Parayil : Gopi founded Nila Foundation to bring together like-minded people who were passionate about rivers. To bring in attention of the world to the Bharathapuzha (River Nila) region, he set up The Blue Yonder, a pioneering Responsible travel company that is now a leader of international Responsible travel movement. Featured by Outlook India business magazine amongst the 50 Social entrepreneurs in India, Gopi also set up the International centre for Responsible Tourism in India.


Prakash M: Prakash loves to share information. A habit he picked up while working at Yellow Pages and later at a subsidiary of Reed Elsevier Plc in Bangalore. Not many people can beat the skills he has in gathering information, especially as a grass-roots functionary. Prakash recently joined us to steer the publication of the book Puzha Malayalam. He also runs a quarterly called Welcome Kerala.


Sankaran M: Sankars name is synonymous with books. Native of Pattambi, Sankar set up the book chain "Sankars – the book people" based out of Bangalore. Having influenced the reading habits of an many people in cities like Bangalore, Sankars latest venture is the book store in Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. If not for the support and encouragement of Sankars, Nila foundation would not have survived the last few years. Sankar is also one of our trustees.


Sujith Kumar: An ardent fan of Bharathapuzha, Sujith has walked literally all possible stretches of rivers in Kerala. Known amongst friends as the mobile encyclopedia of rivers, Sujith wrote one of the best books on agrarian traditions of Kerala while in his early 20s. ‘Krishi Malayalam’ is now a recognised study material for Calicut University. Sujith has been involved in many campaigns and workshops focusing on nature conservation. Striking a fine balance between the romance of rivers and practical life, Sujith is an excellent photographer and has briefly ventured into documentaries.
 

Partners:
Vayali Folk Group | Njaralathu Kalaasramam | The Blue Yonder | Punarjeevani Trust | Thanal
 

 

 

                                                                                                         supported by   the blue yonder