THRISSUR: The Cultural Affairs Department has decided to include the 1,000-year-old Mala Synagogue and cemetery at Vadama village in Chalakkudy in the list of protected monuments thus signalling a victory for the long-running campaign for its conservation.
C Karmachandran, Mala Paithruka Samrakshana Samithy president, said the people’s struggle was against encroachments and destruction of the rich Jewish history linked with the region. According to him, the government had issued the gazette notification declaring it as a protected monument on December 26 last year.
Karmachandran said the historical monument is in a state of neglect and plans are afoot to establish a park on the western side of the four-acre cemetery. A Sports Academy was proposed later. The monuments witnessed large-scale encroachments, the samithy said. The authorities had turned the Synagogue first into a school and community hall later.
“The Jewish settlement in Mala holds a lot of significance. The presence of Jews in Mala has been recorded for more than 1,000 years. It is believed there were over 40 Jewish households in Mala,” Karmachandran said.
“However, it was on the basis of a pact following the discussions between the then Mala panchayat president A D Joseph and Jewish community representatives at the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai, the panchayat was entrusted with the protection of the monuments. The pact had been inked before the Jews left for Israel in 1955. As per its terms, the panchayat should maintain the monuments using own funds. Enough protection should be given by constructing the walls around the land and boards declaring the historic importance of the land should be set up,” he said.
P K Sukumaran, Mala gram panchayat president, said they had got an intimation from the government regarding the declaration of the Synagogue and cemetery as protected monuments and the Archaeology Department’s expertise should be utilised for the same. The upswing here is the panchayat will be receiving the funds and they have plans to construct walls, which are decrepit.