P. Vishwanathan scripts history for the Paniya tribe

P. Vishwanathan, a watchman by profession and a folk singer by passion, now has an entirely new address and role. The 40-year-old from the Kurunthan Unnathi (tribal colony) at Edaguni has been elected Chairman of the Kalpetta Municipality in Wayanad. Incidentally, he is the first person from the Paniya tribal community in the country to reach such a position.

Mr. Vishwanathan contested the recent local body elections from the Edaguni ward of the Kalpetta municipality. Though it was a general ward, he won by a margin of 196 votes — the highest in the municipality — and was later chosen as Chairman by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), as the post was reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Until the day he assumed charge as Chairman, Mr. Vishwanathan had been working as a watchman at the Civil Station branch of the Kalpetta Service Cooperative Bank. A known folk singer, he is part of the Karinthandan folk music group and also serves as the district president of the Adivasi Kshema Samithi (AKS). He entered politics through the Democratic Youth Federation of India in 2013 and became a councillor in the municipality in 2015.

The new Chairman is the son of Radha and Kili and hails from the Kurunthan Unnathi, which consists of just four huts with tin sheets and tarpaulin roofs, housing seven families. In his new position, Mr. Vishwanathan has vowed to bring about a change in this situation. “There are more than 56 unnathis in Kalpetta. I wish at least one of them could be modernised with the support of the State government,” he said.

Paniyas are the largest tribal community in the State. Other tribal communities in Wayanad include the Kattunaikkar, Adiya, Kuruma, Kurichya and Oorali. Mr. Vishwanathan said he aims to understand the distinct features of each tribe and unnathi before designing development projects for them. He also pointed out that funds earmarked for tribal welfare often fail to make a significant impact due to the lack of foresight on the part of implementing agencies.

The Chairman also hopes to facilitate the comprehensive development of Kalpetta, including the construction of a town hall and welfare initiatives, particularly for senior citizens. His family includes his wife Sunitha and children Vaishnav Das and Vaishnavi.