THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A new ‘smriti mandapam’ (monument) in memory of social reformer and Dalit icon Mahatma Ayyankali will be unveiled soon at Mukkola, his birthplace, near Vizhinjam. The ‘mandapam’ is coming up at the one cent area of the Ayyankali family property donated to CPM. The foundation stone will be laid by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on May 11.
The CPM’s decision could be a major morale booster for the Dalit organisations, including the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) and the Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (SJPS). In 2009, there was a discord among Dalit bodies in the district over the decision to abandon the Ayyankali Smriti Mandapam at Venganoor. It was sealed off by the district administration after a violent face-off between the groups.