Blame game over memorial to poet of love

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  As the legal tussle over the land acquisition near Asan Smarakam at Thonnakkal, currently known as the Kumaran Asan National Institute of Culture (KANIC), continues to vitiate the relations between the governing council members and relatives of Asan even after more than a decade,  Asan’s grandson has alleged mala fide intent on the part of the governing council members.  The government-aided  autonomous institution under the Cultural Department has already brought disgrace to the  memorial as its director and governing body continue to harass the poorly-paid casual  and contract workers. Express had reported that four workers engaged by the Smarakam were  terminated for demanding an increase in the festival allowance.  Meanwhile, governing committee secretary P Soman and  director M P Subash have levelled serious allegations regarding  the efforts by Asan’s relatives to obstruct the land acquisition process by moving the High Court. Soman told Express that despite earnest efforts to acquire 2.5 acres of land adjacent to the memorial owned by Asan’s grandchildren,  the latter were hampering the efforts. He alleged that the poet’s grandson P Vijayakumar had moved the High Court seeking to stop the land acquisition. The LDF Government had sanctioned Rs 1.75 crore and the same was  remitted in the court  to comply with the acquisition process. However, the High Court  issued an order asking the Land Revenue Commissioner to examine whether the acquisition was for a public purpose.  The secretary told Express that the land acquisition was necessitated following the decision to start development works. The committee plans to construct  an auditorium, rest house for visitors, garden and statues depicting the characters of  Asan’s poetic works.  Thonnakkal Vasudevan,  a governing committee member who has strong objection to the style of functioning of the  director and differences of opinion with the secretary, told Express that  there was potential for setting up a Malayalam University centred around Asan Smarakam.  He also alleged that Asan’s grandchildren  were hampering the acquisition. Asan’s Grandson Clarifies His StandHowever, Asan’s grandson  P Vijayakumar is of the opinion that most of the trouble was because of the machinations of  M P Subash. ‘’Subash is not a regular appointee to the Smarakam. He was not selected by the PSC or any other competent agency through any competitive or transparent process. He was a backdoor appointee,” he said.  He said that it was his father, one of the two sons of Kumaran Asan, who had gifted 1.25 acres of land free of cost to the Governor in 1958  for the construction of a memorial to the great poet. The deed registering the transfer of the land states that the government was being granted “the site and buildings where the late Mahakavi  Kumaran Asan lived  and drew inspiration for his poetic compositions for the purpose of  preserving  the same in its present condition and that if the premises shall at any time hereafter cease to be used for the purpose aforesaid or purposes consistent with the same, the premises with the buildings thereon shall revert to the donor.”  “Contravening this undertaking, the site has been converted into an amusement park. The trees were cut, the house in which Asan lived and which the government was committed to preserving exactly as it was, has had its size, shape and  proportions altered,” he alleged.  Coming down heavily on Kanayi Kunhiraman for altering the shape of the house and chopping trees,  Vijayakumar said the giant statue coming up on the compound had nothing to do with Asan’s work or his life.  “Asan’s concept of women was noble, evolved and sophisticated. The statue coming up expresses the  gynaecological imagination of its creator and perhaps the crude sensibilities of  a section of men  in contemporary society,’’  he said.  He alleged that Asan Smarakam authorities were filing false cases against his family members and  harassing them.  He alleged that the plan to acquire their land was part of the campaign of vilification and harassment.  He said that they were objecting to the acquisition not for monetary interest, but for their stand that the compound gifted to the memorial should be preserved as a historical monument.  Kanayi’s ResponseResponding to the allegations of  Vijayakumar,   Kanayi Kunhiraman said  that it was the lack of sensibility and aesthetic sense that prompted him to make such comments. “They don’t know the aesthetics of a sculpture. What I depicted was  life, woman and beauty itself. It has all the features of  Kumaran Asan’s characters. Before venturing out to make such a sculpture, I read all the works of Asan. From my childhood days, I have been great fan of Asan.  When Asan’s son Prabhakaran invited me to have a look at the dilapidated condition of the Smarakam in 1998, and when he insisted on my efforts to make it a place worth attracting attention, I happily accepting the invitation,” he said. “Till date, I have not taken a single rupee for my work. I consider my work as a humble offering before Asan,”  Kanayi said.  Elaborating on the secrets of the structure of the sculpture, Kanayi said that he considers female body as  a veena. ‘’The sculpture has the resemblance of the hair of  Chinthavishtayaya Sita and voluptuousness of Vasavadatha,”  he said.