THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: House number 239, EMRA, Arangamugal, Neyyattinkara is a mud-plastered house on the verge of collapse. Usually, there are no visitors, other than some occasional protestors.
A roofing sheet covers the structure. One of its walls has collapsed. And a door feigns protection to the few old moth-eaten furniture lying cooped up here. A rogue rat relishes of what remains of a structure that was once the birthplace of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai, the journalist who set trails for others to follow.
Known as ‘Koodillaveedu’, the house is in its present condition due to the lackadaisical attitude of its caretakers. A people’s collective comprising locals and elected representatives of the region protested here last Sunday demanding protection and preservation of the legacy left behind by Swadeshambhimani.
“If the current situation persists, the house will come down in the next six months. Already one side of the building is almost gone. The locals have been protesting for the protection of the building for long. We are asking for something similar to what was done in Chempazhanthy at the Gurudeva Griham, a better protective structure around the house and to revamp it.
The expense of building the roof was close to 2 lakh. Even the local worker who undertook the project has not been paid the full amount for the work done five years ago,” said Jayakrishnan, treasurer of the people’s collective. Five years ago, the property and the house was bought by Suresh Gopi MP who registered it in the name of Trivandrum Press Club. He also gave a fund of `5 lakh. Of which almost half was used to build the roof cover according to Press club officials.
The Club secretary elect M Radhakrishnan said: “The state government has come up with a `20 lakh project in its last budget, to protect the monument. We had submitted a project for the same. As soon as we get the amount, the work will begin. Recently, we gave an amount to clear the pathway which was inundated in the rain. During the tenure of the new managing committee itself, we will complete the project.”
While the road leading to the house is in good condition, the pathway to the house is muddy. Children from various schools in the area visit the school during study tours. The locals avow that there was no time to wait and works to protect the precarious building must be done on a war footing.