Kochi: G Sankara Kurup memorial remains a dream

KOCHI: Though Malayalam literature lovers once again got together to remember poet G Sankara Kurup on Monday on the occasion of his 118th birth anniversary, a monument for the doyen in Ernakulam, his birthplace, still remains an unfulfilled dream.

Though he was born in Angamaly, Sankara Kurup, who was a lecturer at Maharaja's College, spent most of his good times in Kochi. Known as Mahakavi G, he was the first recipient of Jnanpith Award. As a true tribute to the great man, the Kochi Corporation came up with the idea of constructing a memorial for him in 2009. However, the decade-long proposal is yet to materialise.

“The project was initiated in 2009. The plan did not materialise even after the then government decided to allot one-acre in Kochi for the G memorial project. In 2018, to a submission filed by John Fernandez MLA in the Assembly, Minister A C Moideen said 25 cents of land was allotted to Kochi Corporation for the project. However, the Corporation, even after allocating Rs 5 lakh in its annual budget, failed in carrying the project forward,” said G Sankara Kurup Memorial Protection Council general secretary E N Nandakumar.

The land that the Minister referred to is owned by GCDA and is located near the Pandit Karuppan Smarakam near High Court. “Through RTI, we learnt the funds have already lapsed and no step has been taken by both the GCDA and Kochi Corporation to hand over the land. Even a clear plan on the nature of the project, its components and DPR are yet to be derived,” added Nandakumar. Meanwhile, Kochi Corporation Welfare Standing Committee chairman A B Sabu said the government has not demarcated the plot they claim to have identified.

“Though we have communicated with the administration through official channels, the land is yet be demarcated. We have earmarked funds for the project in our annual budget for more than three terms. Without allocation of land, we cannot proceed further,” added Sabu.

Sabu added that he will hold discussions with the members of the G Sankara Kurup Memorial Protection Council and other cultural leaders on Monday. “We are hopeful of taking the project ahead once the land is handed over to us,” added Sabu.