KALPETTA: Cheruvayal Raman, who is from a tribal village and became the nation's Padma Shri awardee, and attained global fame for devoting his life to the preservation of the traditional rice seeds, is in a sea of ​​sorrow.

The thatched house which is over a hundred years old is full of accolades. Two cupboards were already full. Other awards are laid out on the cow-dung-coated verandah floor, by his wife Geetha, and daughters-in-law Rajitha and Thangamani. There is not a decent spot even for the Padma Shri, the nation's greatest honour.

Six people including Raman, his wife, two sons, and daughters-in-law live in this house. If it rains, the whole house leaks. He is scared that the hundreds of accolades and more than fifty traditional rice seeds that he preserved like the apple of his eye will perish. It is time to renovate the house but good hay is not available anywhere. He got no money to buy good hay at a high price as well. The nine thousand rupees he had in the bank was used to treat a friend's child's heart disease. Raman is like that, he melts at the face of sorrow.

The awards keep coming to Raman who is an organic farmer, for saving more than 50 traditional rice seeds. This is also why he got the Padma Shri. At the end of the day after travels, programs, and getting honoured, all Raman is left with are these awards. Many people invite him for programs but sometimes he has to meet even the travel expenses from his own pocket.

People come seeking help

There is no shortage of visitors at home. They include people who are coming from within the country and outside. Cardamom tea is served to the visitors and the expense for sugar itself comes to a good amount. Raman gets a pension of one thousand five hundred rupees. He suffered a heart attack when he went for a Gulf program but was lucky that he got his life back thanks to the help of the expatriates. Raman is currently undergoing treatment but there is not enough money for that either. Many people come seeking Raman's help as well but he doesn't know how to say no with cash in hand. He offers whatever he has.