It is quite irritating and disappointing that when a government department like Judiciary Court, District Collector's office are housed in an old building more than 100 plus years and if shortage of space for officials and records becomes a menacing problem, the officials arbitrarily take a decision to pull down the old building to be replaced with the modern one in the same place. While in occupation the authorities don't care to do periodic repairs and let the structures rot. The disparaging thing is they never give any consideration to the heritage and aesthetics aspect of such old colonial structures.
When historical structures are razed to the ground for good along with them goes down their past history and its connectivity with the present time. In the past more than a decade several such historic colonial structures, buildings, clock towers, bridges, bungalows have disappeared across India for reasons of carelessness, lethargic attitude and scant respect for old monuments. In the western countries, when the govt is taking a specific decision on pulling down pretty old structures, etc., they never fail to follow referendum. They take the opinion of the local people and respect their aspirations. That the Indian officials who are tools in the hands of politicians take decision on public issues without any consultation with the local community is a sad story and it does not augur well in a democratic society. There is no room for biased opinion.
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| British-era court, Ottappalam, Palakkad, Kerala.thehindu.com |
Caught in the web of controversy is the 160 year old Ottappalam Judiciary Court complex of Palakkad, Kerala. The state government already made a decision to raze the court building and in its place would come up a big and spacious modern court complex. The construction cost R. 23.35 crore was already allocated for the new project. People from different walks of life are against the arbitrary proposal of a new building in the old court campus by the ruling government.
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| Ottapplam Court complex, Kerala. timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
The Palghat History Club (PHC) chipped in and was against the demolition of the old court building. PHC demanded that the historic civil court complex at Ottappalam had to be maintained as a monument so that the posterity could get some benefits out of it because the British era structure is the legacy of early British rule in this part whose reign had begun after the 1792 Srirangapatna peace treaty with Tipu sultan. With the exception of Wayanad, the entire Malabar province spread over present day Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram annd Palakkad became part of the English company and annexed with the Madras Presidency. Demolishing this building means we are losing the archaeological, historical and political importance. Further, Ottappalam became an important part of this place upon the introduction of the railroad by the English company and construction of a court complex. The court complex in Cherpulassery was shifted to Ottappalam in 1904.
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| Ottappalam, Palakkad Kerala, weather-forecast.com |
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| Judiciary court, Ottappalam, Palakkad, Kerala .onmanorama.com |
PHC general secretary Lijo Panangadan and president Boban Mattumantha are toiling to save the Court complex with support from the former director of Archaeology, historians and college principal.
In the 1900s freedom struggle gained momentum across India against the Raj under the direct British Administration, London. Exploitation of Indian lands, racial discrimination and repressive rule with a strong military and police force continued unabated. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab on13 April 1919 adduced a new dimension to freedom struggle. Malayalees did not lag behind in freedom struggle and Kerala Pradesh Congress Party was in the forefront of freedom movement in Kerala, taking advice from National leaders. Several freedom fighters courted arrest and were brought before the present court complex at Ottappalam.
The popular judges like Madhan Nair and Oyyarath Chandu Menon presided over many cases and gave judgements on merit. This historic court handles cases from as many as 66 villages registered at 11 police stations. In the colonial period it functioned as ‘Valluvanad district Munsiff court’.
The government conserved the Ram Mohan Palace near the High Court and the Manmohan Bungalow in Thiruvananthapuram and protected the buildings of Kochi and Thalassery that were built in 1930. So, considering the heritage and historical aspects of this British era court complex, the government must add the heritage tag to it and conserve it pretty soon.
The PHC pointed out the new court complex could be built near the heritage building on the campus or elsewhere.
