KOLLAM: The memorial dedicated to soldier Jerin A in his village, Aryankavu, once a proud tribute to his ultimate sacrifice during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2006, now lies forgotten and overrun by wild vegetation.
Weathered and abandoned by those entrusted to preserve it, the structure stands in ruins — a silent witness to neglect. Nearby, the library built alongside the memorial has fallen into disrepair, its floors broken and walls cloaked in grass, resembling a ghostly relic of a bygone era.
Located in Nedumpara ward, near the government school where Jerin studied, the memorial and library were inaugurated in 2008 by the then state home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. In its early days, students from the local school would visit regularly, paying respects and seeking knowledge within the library walls.
Sources with the Aryankavu panchayat revealed that the library’s flooring has collapsed and it still lacks an electricity connection. “After the inauguration, students from the Nedumpara school made use of the facility. But over time, maintenance stopped. The subsequent panchayat hasn’t shown much interest towards the memorial and library. Now, it needs urgent attention,” a panchayat source told TNIE.
Jerin was just 21 when he laid down his life on June 15, 2006. Serving as a gunner in the regiment artillery corps, he gave everything for the nation’s security.
His family voiced their heartbreak at the neglect. “The entire memorial now looks abandoned. When we saw it, we were deeply saddened. It has been almost two decades, and the memorial is falling apart before our eyes. Whenever we ask the panchayat authorities to maintain it, they only make promises, but nothing happens. I even told them we are ready to maintain it if allowed. For us, he was everything... so young, giving his life for the nation. It’s heartbreaking,” said Jenish, his younger brother.
Meanwhile, the panchayat claimed that steps are under way to restore the memorial. Suja Thomas, the panchayat president, said a renovation project has been approved.