THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sale of Sugathakumari’s house in the state capital has kicked off a row with fans of the late poet expressing disappointment over the failure to convert it into a memorial. Attempting to put the issue to rest, Sugathakumari’s daughter said she was forced to sell the property after it lost road access.
Varada, where the poet lived for several years, was on the ground floor of a building on a low-lying plot. Road access to the building is from the top floor and relatives of the poet residing on the top floor blocked the access to the lower portion, said Lakshmi Devi. “There is a narrow lane passing through the back of the plot which connects to the main road. But an autorickshaw can barely pass through it,” she said.
Expressing disappointment over the row, Lakshmi said neither the government nor any organisation had expressed the desire to take over the house. “The idea of a memorial was first mooted by a group of litterateurs and cultural leaders, including T Padmanabhan. They submitted a memoranda to the chief minister and cultural affairs minister. But no one wanted Varada to be turned into a memorial because they knew about its lack of road access,” she told The New Indian Express.
“I don’t understand the controversy. The house had remained closed for nearly two and a half years after I moved out. It was in a dilapidated condition when a family expressed the willingness to purchase it. Thy assured me that they will only renovate it, without resorting to any demolition,” she said. The family also assured me that they will not cut down any trees on the premises. “I was convinced since the lady of the family is a nature lover who had a large garden at her previous house,” Lakshmi said.
She hopes the government will take steps to set up a fitting memorial to the poet. ‘It should not be a mere concrete structure. My dream is an eco-friendly place with plants, trees and a pond. I’m ready to hand over her memorabilia, including furniture, book collection, spectacles, etc,” she added.