KOCHI: The garden adjacent to the administrative block of Cochin University of Science and Technology, which was once a treat to the eyes of the visitors, but that later plunged into a controversy after being vandalised, is set to get a new lease of life, albeit in a new form.
Five years ago, a section of the staff, including women, had objected to the grand ‘mermaid’ which was created out of grass by gardener Varghese after years of toil on the model of the works of Kanayi Kunhiraman.
They protested terming it as vulgar. Later, the garden which had existed for over two decades was vandalized by a section of officials in the university. Interestingly, the person who led the charge then is now in charge of the garden.
Ahead of this act, the then authorities had tried unsuccessfully to prevail upon the gardener to root out the so-called vulgarity.
Later, there was a bid to conceal the entire thing by planting trees around the garden. The authorities ignored a petition by around 200 staff of the university, including women, to retain the garden without hiding anything. It was then that they resorted to rooting out the ‘vulgar’ content. The gardener was transferred out later.
Though the then Vice-Chancellor Dr Ramachandran Thekkedath later promised to restore the garden, nothing happened and currently the garden is in a shambles. Current registrar of Cusat, Dr S. David Peter, said that the varsity would modify the garden.
“We are planning to give a facelift to the garden in the courtyard also. The mermaid will not come back to that garden. The current gardener has given some suggestions and some of the staff also have given their ideas. We are in the process of finalising the plan and once the Vice-Chancellor returns after his leave, it will take shape,” Dr David Peter said.
