Remembering Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder

Remembering Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder on his 127th birth Anniversary (4th Dec)

He travelled extensively in Europe, including Russia, Turkey and the Balkans etc. He toured around the world visiting U.S.A, Japan, China, Indo-China (Vietnam), Malaya and Burma.

After travelling widely in India too, he started the Madras Provincial Backward Classes League and continued to be its President foe a number of years with a view to make it an All India Organisation, which it indeed become later under the leadership of a Minister of State in Delhi.

As a member of the Tea Licensing Committee, Tea Market Expansion Board, Calcutta, (Imperial) Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Delhi, President of Land Mortgage Bank, he encouraged cultivation of tea by the villagers, thus bringing into existence ‘Small Tea Growers’ and their problems.

With tea, the cultivation of potatoes was also encouraged by forming in 1935, a Co-operative Marketing Society, which has been supplying manure at reasonable price and marketing the produce under favourable terms. He continued to be its President for over 30 years.

As the elected President of the District Board from 1930 for 17 years, he opened a number of additional schools, including High Schools, Village roads and provided water supplies, medical aid, sanitation etc.

With the advancement of education, he worked hard, culminating in the opening of an Arts College at Ooty.

Due to his tireless work in various capacities, it is said that the general standard of living in the Villages improved considerably.