Kerala expat jeweller slips into poverty & depression, panchayat gifts him cafe in govt building

Malappuram: In 2022, Kerala’s government officials found Melottaparambil Unnikrishnan in a stuffy house with crumbling rafters and a leaking roof. He had a long beard, matted hair, and claimed he survived only on naivediyam -- temple offerings. "We found him during our drive to identify the extremely poor," said Babumon P, Village Extension Officer of Thirunavaya grama panchayat in Malappuram district.

When they explained why they were there, Unnikrishnan’s first request was to "help him start a jewellery shop". Officials were startled: a monk-like man, living in a home without a usable toilet, asking for a gold business. "When we told him the government scheme didn’t allow a jewellery shop, he asked for a khadi showroom," Babumon recalled.

Soon, they realised it wasn’t his present speaking, but the echo of his earlier life -- "the old glory in his heart", as Babumon put it. Unnikrishnan had once been a prosperous expatriate who returned to start Thripthi Jewellery at Kattilangadi near Tanur.

Cut to November 1, 2025. Unnikrishnan is now 'Unniyettan' -- and has a place of his own: ‘Unniyettan’s Edam’, a small but popular café tucked beside the cash counter inside the Thirunavaya panchayat office. His café is part of the LDF government’s push to tailor microplans to lift every extremely poor person in Kerala. Officials identified 64,006 such individuals through house visits and intensive discussions. On November 1, Kerala declared itself free of extreme poverty.

"The programme was implemented across Kerala, but ours is the only panchayat office where such a business was allowed inside the compound," said Devayani Mambatta (69), president of the UDF-controlled Thirunavaya grama panchayat. "Today, Unnikrishnan is a happy man. Our panchayat members and employees worked with him to achieve that," she said -- pointing to how politics was set aside to lift a life.

The fall of a rich expat
Unnikrishnan, now 65, said he was working as a driver in Kerala when he went to Qatar in 1981 at the age of 21. He spent 25 years in Qatar and Dubai, married, became father to four daughters, and built a large house. In 2006, he returned to Thirunavaya, a village on the banks of the Bharathappuzha -- with a Vishnu temple on one bank and temples to Brahma and Shiva on the other.

After a year back home, he opened a small gold jewellery business in 2007. "Then he lost everything over a petty family issue," said Devayani, who has known him for 40 years.

He moved in with his mother after separating from his wife. When his mother died in 2020, he went into a downward spiral. His jewellery shop of 13 years folded. And he became a recluse.

Superstition crept in too. He believed witchcraft caused his suffering, and even wrote to the district collector seeking an investigation into a neighbour’s “black magic," said Babumon. Chronic illness followed -- respiratory problems and a spinal injury.

He was one of nine extremely poor persons identified in Thirunavaya. "The governing board took up his case," Devayani said. He was included in Ujjivanam, a 100-day Kudumbashree campaign for sustainable income.

Since his home was not habitable, the panchayat spent Rs 1 lakh to repair it, and built a toilet through Swachh Bharat. He began receiving free medicines for his conditions. He is also eligible for a new house, but multiple claimants on the land mean another solution will be needed, said Babumon, the Village Extension Officer.

When the question arose of how to provide him an income, a tea-and-coffee stall was proposed "because it was the quickest option," said Nasar Ayappalli, chairperson of the panchayat’s Welfare Standing Committee. As for where to set it up, the members chose their own office. "People visit, employees work here, elected representatives come here -- he would have a ready stream of customers," Nasar said.

For Babumon, the success of the programme is deeper than a livelihood. "Unniyettan didn’t just get income. He came out of his hole," he said. "He goes to town now, interacts with people, and importantly, he trusts society.”