THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Manaveeyam Veedhi — designated as the first-ever cultural street in the state — is being redeveloped without a performance space much to the dismay of cultural activists and artists.
The Rs 3 crore worth of redevelopment project was undertaken by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) back in 2019. The plan was to transform the stretch into a cultural corridor with a covered performance space, green rooms, toilets and more.
With the contractor engaged by SCTL leaving the project halfway, the Manaveeyam Veedhi has been lying in a state of ruin for the past years. Recently, the project was re-launched but sans many of the crucial components of the initial project.
A performance stage which was one of the crucial components was scrapped from the plan. Now, the corridor will be redeveloped with more food kiosks and shops. Apart from a street library, the current plan is not giving any priority to the cultural aspects.
A senior official associated with the project said the covered stage was scrapped as it will hinder traffic movement. “Manaveeyam Veedhi will be developed as a street and performances can be showcased on the street. There will be seating areas, street food outlets, merchandise shops, water kiosks and a street library,” said the official.
The ambitious project which was conceived with the participation of the cultural collective of the capital aimed to transform Manaveeyam into an iconic performance space where people from all walks of life can come and enjoy art and cultural performance. “Giving prominence to shops will kill the whole purpose of the project. Setting up shops means the artist and art lovers have less stake. Manaveeyam is an emotion for art lovers and artists here in Thiruvananthapuram. It’s unfortunate that the space is being redeveloped without a stage,” said actor Krishnan Balakrishnan.
After a years-long impasse, the SCTL has launched the redevelopment work of Manaveeyam Veedhi on a war footing basis. The potholed stretch has been posing a danger to pedestrians and motorists alike.
“Our aim is to complete the work within three months. The road work will be undertaken by Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB),” said the official.
Thespian and cultural activist D Reghoothaman said it’s unfortunate that the cultural community and artists are keeping mum about this. “We fought so much for this project and it was our dream to transform this as a space for performance for the generations to come,” he said.
New plan
Corridor to be redeveloped with more food kiosks and shops
To include a street library
Seating areas to be arranged