Eechan, the tribal who introduced miracle plant ‘arogyapacha’ to scientific world, found dead in Kerala cave

According to police, Kani has been missing for the last seven days.

“He used to go to the forest to procure forest products. As he did not return, a search found him dead in a cave at the forest within the Kottoor panchayat limits. Prima facie, he died from poisoning. He was living alone, separated from the family,” said a police officer.

Eachan was among three members of his community — the other two are Mallan Kani and Mathan Kani — who introduced the anti-fatigue properties of arogyapacha to the scientists of TBGRI. The plant grew in the Western Ghat regions of Thiruvananthapuram and the Kani community had been familiar with the medicinal values of the plant.

The discovery of the properties of the plant for the modern scientific world was accidental in 1987. Eechan Kani and others were then guiding a team of scientists from TBGRI to the Western Ghats for a field visit. While trekking, the Kani tribal men were found chewing a particular fruit to fight fatigue from walking for long hours. The Kani community used to eat the fruit during their trekking to the forest to ward off fatigue.

Asked about the fruit they were chewing, the tribesmen reluctantly shared it with the scientists, who also experienced the properties of the miracle plant.

Later, TBGRI conducted studies on the plants, which revealed it had anti-stress, anti-fatigue properties and was effective in improving the immune system. The scientists isolated a dozen compounds for production of the herbal drug ‘Jeevani’, which was later commercially manufactured by Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal.

Anoop Kani, a member of the community, said Eechen had benefited from the discovery of the health properties and got a part of the royalty from the TBGRI. Later, when Kani Samudaya Kshema (community welfare) Trust was formed in 1997 to take the financial benefits of all members of the community.

“In fact, Eechan was a life-term member of the executive committee of the trust,” he said.

The trust had won the United Nations Equator Prize in 2002.

“But that did not benefit the Kani community. Eechan was the youngest in the three-member tribal team that introduced Arogyapacha to the scientists. Other two managed to find a new lease of life with the royalty from the findings. But luck remained elusive for Eechan, who had been leading a lonely life,” Anoop Kani said.