"Ugly" freedom memorial to be demolished in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: A freedom memorial created in the government secretariat compound in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the golden jubilee of the Indian independence will be removed as an artist's panel found it totally "ugly."

The state cabinet, which considered the report of the panel of some eminent artists, decided to flatten the memorial consisting of some small terracotta figures and level and landscape the spot.

This was disclosed by state Information and Culture Minister K C Joseph while briefing reporters on the decisions of the cabinet meeting.

The memorial, in front of the majestic Durbar Hall of the Government secretariat, was completed in 2001. Right from the start, there have been complaints that it was inelegant and not a befitting tribute to the freedom fighters.

After it came to power in 2011, the present UDF Government set up a committee, comprising sculptor B D Dattan, artist Kattur Narayana Pillai and others, to decide on the future of the memorial.

The committee, in its report, said the memorial is quite ugly and deserved to be flattened and the spot land-scaped.