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K P UTHAPPA WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS SELFLESS SERVICE IN THE DOMAIN OF COFFEE AND EDUCATION IN COORG

By P.T.Bopanna

Koothanda P. Uthappa (90), who passed away on January 10 will be remembered for his selfless service, especially in the field of education and promotion of coffee.

I remember my first meeting with Uthappa uncle at his home near Polibetta in Kodagu (Coorg) district in 2011.

I was researching for my book ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ which eventually went on to win the prestigious Gourmand international award under the ‘Best in the World’ category in 2015.

By then I had authored four books. All the books were Coorg-centric. I wanted to broaden my canvas to cater go a larger audience. Since Coorg was the biggest grower of coffee in India, I zeroed in on the subject of coffee.

Moreover, during my youth in Coorg, I was fascinated by the legend of Ivor Bull, a pioneer planter and the founder of the Consolidated Coffee Estates Ltd., Pollibetta, now renamed as Tata Coffee.

Though Bull had returned to England in 1954, he had become part of the local ‘coffee folklore’ and was remembered with affection by the local planters. Rightly so, because it was Bull who had encouraged the Coorg planters to grow oranges, cardamom and pepper along with coffee. The inter-planting vastly improved the economic condition of the small planters.

As I began my research for the coffee book, I was informed there was no better person than Uthappa who had an encyclopedic knowledge.  He was also associated with various organisations, including Coorg Planters’ Association, Coorg Education Fund and Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan.

My meeting with Uthappa proved very fruitful as he had a vast knowledge in the local coffee folklore and also his association with Ivor Bull.

Uthappa recalled: “I first saw Mr Ivor Bull in August, 1942, when the Quit India movement was launched. A large group of high school students from Virajpet came to our school in Pollibetta in Coorg, collected us and marched up to the head office of the Consolidated Coffee Estates Ltd and started shouting patriotic slogans. Mr Bull came out of the office and talked with the leaders. Our leaders offered him a ‘Gandhi cap’ which was a red rag, as it were, to the British. Mr Bull smilingly put the same on his head and we all clapped.”

Besides briefing me on the subject of coffee, he also gave me literature connected with coffee which came in handy for putting together my book.

It will not be an exaggeration to say Uthappa’s passing is end of an era as selfless service is no more in fashion.  

Paperback copy of the book The Romance of Indian Coffee is available on Amazon: