Defiling Field Marshal Cariappa statue: Who is to be blamed?
The defiling of the statue of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa at Madikeri on Tuesday morning by miscreants is a reflection on the prevailing state of affairs in Kodagu. A shoe was found hanging from the statue, located near the Sudarshan Circle.
A few years ago, it was unimaginable that anybody would have dared to commit such an act involving one of the most respected sons of India in his home town.
The authorities should partly take the blame for the despicable act as miscreants had reportedly broken the lock of the enclosure six times in the past at night.
The Madikeri municipal president H M Nandkumar was quoted as saying: “”After the statue was installed, a committee used to maintain it, but later on, the responsibility was handed over to the municipality. Now, the only alternative left is to arrange security in this place.”
According to reports, the area around the statue has not been kept clean and the thick growth of weeds has emboldened anti-social elements to indulge in provocative acts to breach the peace in Kodagu.
In the first place, the spot chosen for the statue was not any ideal one for the most illustrious son of Madikeri. The spot is located in a corner, unlike the statue of General K.S. Thimayya, which is located at a prime spot. It will not be a bad idea to shift the statue to the centre of the town.
Protest meetings, bandhs, etc., have been held all across Kodagu and Mysore city against the desecration of the statue.
EDITOR’S VIEW: With the influx of outsiders into Kodagu, and the migration of the indigenous people to cities like Mysore and Bangalore, anti-social elements have begun to have a field day. Kodagu is being controlled by the timber lobby and the land mafia.
The proliferation of unauthorized home stays and resorts, is attracting tourists of the wrong kind who indulge in immoral activities. The people’s representatives are busy feathering their nests, instead of attending to the problem of the citizens like bad roads.
The people of Kodagu should start a movement like the ‘Anna movement’ to make the leaders accountable and transparent.
