The heritage status imposed by the State government on over 800 aged row houses at Kalpathy a few years ago has turned into a key electoral issue in this settlement of Tamil Brahmins from Thanjavur.
Though imposed with a view to retaining the old world charm of the unique village that caught in a time warp, the heritage status is preventing the local community from not even conducting repair works of the buildings.
Proposals to build multi-storey houses to accommodate members of joint families have been summarily rejected by an expert committee based in Thiruvananthapuram.
‘‘As far as we are concerned, heritage is a way of life than denying a dignified life to a whole village. A family with four children and three cents of land has no option other than constructing a multi-storey building to accommodate new members after the marriage of the children. We are not even getting permission to repair our tiled ceilings,’’ said Karimpuzha Raman, newly elected president of Kerala Brahmina Sabha and a resident of the village.
‘‘I met the Chief Minister and other Ministers and they told me to wait till the local bodies election is over. In this election, we have only this issue to raise before the political formations,’’ he said. Another resident Santhana Gopalakrishnan recalled an unkept promise of the State government to meet the expenses of renovation while imposing the heritage tag.
‘‘They promised to exempt house tax and subsidise electricity and drinking water bills. Nothing happened so far,’’ he said.
‘‘Our children are keeping away from the village as it lacks basic facilities. We are not showpieces. For every thing, we have to knock the doors of power in Thiruvananthapuram. No decentralisation of power at the practical level,’’ said Mr. Raman.
‘‘Better housing and sanitation are part of the fundamental rights. We are denied these for several years. It is sheer injustice,’’ said Mr. Raman.
