Palakkad: The bust of one among the stalwarts of Malayalam literature O.V. Vijayan has been pulled out using a crane from the heart of Palakkad town and handed over to the OV Vijayan Samskarika Samiti in Thasarak by members of ‘Palakakd Munnottu’, a civic organisation, a few days ago after obtaining an order from the Munsiff Court here.
The bust was erected in 2017 at the SBI Junction in a place owned by the municipality. But the ‘Palakkad Munnottu’ had claimed that the district collector had given it permission for construction at the spot.
“There is a cultural conspiracy behind this incident and it seems the court has been misled,” Boban Mattumantha, activist and vice-president of OV Vijayan Prathima Nirmana Samiti said. “Both the municipality and the Prathima Nirmana Samiti were kept in dark over the suit. An unknown person who is not connected with the statue was made the respondent. As he or his lawyer did not turn up at the court, the petitioner managed to obtain an ex-parte judgment.”
He said the court order has mentioned the removal of ‘concrete platform’ and not the statue/bust of Vijayan.
“We will approach the court over the matter,” municipal vice-chairman C. Krishnakumar said. “The municipality was not made a respondent in the case even though it owned the place.”
“The Samskarika Samiti received the bust without inquiring why it was removed from the kjunction in nthe first place,” Mr Mattumantha said. “Nor was it made with government funds.”
