As the State pays homage to Kumaran Asan on the occasion of his 146th birth anniversary, a memorial that has stood as tribute to the renowned poet for around six decades faces the threat of destruction.
The Kumaran Asan National Institute of Culture at Thonnackal, on the outskirts of the State capital, may have to cede a portion of its land for the widening of the NH-66 corridor from Cherthala to Kazhakuttam.
The managing committee of the Asan memorial has been told that 34 cents out of its total area of roughly 2 acres will be acquired for the project for which the alignment has been finalised by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
This would result in the demolition of the office building that also houses the library.
Besides, two sculptures that have been created by master sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman over 10 years ago — one on Indian independence and the other based on Asan’s acclaimed poem ‘Duravastha’ — also stood to be removed.
“The unilateral manner in which the alignment has been fixed hinted at the scant regard authorities had for the importance of the institution. What was considered is just the monetary value of the soil. The institution has been functioning by upholding the ideals of the Mahakavi (great poet), whose message was to spread compassion and love,” says poet V. Madhusoodanan Nair, chairman of the memorial’s managing committee.
Agitations
He added that while there were attempts to acquire land for similar reasons over 10 years ago, they were thwarted by agitations that were led by late poet O.N.V. Kurup and former Assembly Speaker Varkala Radhakrishnan.
Sources alleged that the alignment takes a curious turn after a religious institution near the Mangalapuram junction and maintaining the alignment along a straight path would not have necessitated the acquisition of land from the memorial.
“For some reasons, the NHAI has decided against choosing an alignment that would have led to lesser project costs and spared the institution from being demolished. The land on the other side of the road included a plot of poramboke land,” a source said.
Prof. Madhusoodanan Nair said they would apprise the State government of the situation at the earliest.
A public meeting that was inaugurated by sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman was also organised on Sunday in protest against the move to acquire the land.
“We are least inclined to enter into a confrontation, but believe it is our responsibility to protect the institution at all costs. While places of worship are often spared while fixing alignments, an institution that has transcended societal boundaries has been neglected,” Mr. Madhusoodanan Nair said.
