Even as Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has directed the authorities not to disturb the New Type Model (NTM) Government Kannada Higher Primary School on N.S. Road following the proposed construction of a Swami Vivekananda Memorial (Viveka Smaraka) at the site, Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Mysuru has felt that the opposition to the project was unjustifiable since it was not merely a memorial but a centre for the empowerment of youth, imparting them value education as envisioned by the spiritual leader.
Some Kannada activists had taken exception to the apparent closure of the Kannada school for facilitating the construction and also argued that the school itself was part of Mysuru’s heritage since it was more than 100 years old. Some of the activists met the Chief Minister and sought his intervention for saving the school. The Chief Minister’s directive is to construct the memorial on the remaining area of the site where the school is located.
The project was proposed at the site since Swami Vivekananda stayed there during his visit to Mysuru in the 1880s.
In a statement issued here following reports in the press over the issue, the ashram said many government schools had been shut down in Mysuru in the recent years. They include the government school at Lakshmipuram where writer R.K. Narayan studied, which was closed five to six years ago, besides the schools near the old bus-stand here and the one at Ittigegud near the Mysuru zoo for lack of students.
“When no opposition was expressed to the closure of these schools during that time, why is there opposition to the merger of NTM School with another school and the ashram’s plans for the construction of the memorial at the site?” the statement asked.
“We are just implementing the directive issued by the Centre,” said the statement issued by the ashram president Swami Muktidanandaji.
The ashram said the NTM School is not being shut down but will be merged with the Devaraja Government Primary School which is nearby and maintained that merger will not affect the children or the parents arguing that it will be give good learning environment for the children.
The statement said the memorial will function as a service centre (Seva Kendra) and cultural centre too. It has been proposed to introduce courses for the personality development of youths besides organising discourses daily for inspiring and guiding the youth and spreading moral education.
Arguing that it had been engaged in pro-Kannada activities, the ashram said many stalwarts of Kannada literature who had associated with the ashram and its activities had unequivocally appreciated its services and contribution to Kannada language. In the last 60 years, the ashram’s publishing division published about 400 Kannada books and selling them at a nominal rate with the idea of reaching out the knowledge to the people, the statement added.
“It was wrong to spread misinformation among the people on the ashram’s visions and plans. The memorial will not only benefit the local people but also the people from surrounding places as it will function as the centre for the youth, spreading moral, spiritual and religious education. It will emerge as a major tourist destination too. The ashram therefore seeks support and cooperation for making it happen,” according to the release.
