Alma Mater
By Anitha S
29 January, 2014
Countercurrents.org
We are a group of citizens born and brought up in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. We are bound by a common factor - that we all studied in the once prestigious Attakulangara Central High School in the historically significant East Fort area of the city.
We are sad to remark that the Attakulangara Central School is no longer prestigious or competitive. It is in shambles and less than 100 children study here from Class 5-10. But we remember and cherish the memory of the glorious days of this school.Established in 1889 with Tamil, Malayalam and English mediums, the school had the services of stalwarts like Ulloor S.Parameswara Iyer.
But we write this with tears in our eyes and a sense of loss. We are a generation with a past, a history.We remember the stage built with money collected from the newspapers we children got from our homes under the guidance of our Headmaster.
We can still see the grand State Youth Festival that was hosted by the school in the 1980s.
We know the hardwork that went behind the conversion of this school space into a vegetable garden, the 108 coconut trees that were planted and cared for by teachers and students. When the bus stop came in front of the school, teachers would wait anxiously at the gate and ensure that children would cross the road safely. When a student from this school won State Rank in the SSLC exam, it was noted that the joint effort of teachers and students is what made it a reality. That was when there were more than 2000 students here with divisions up to L and M. We have heard from teachers about the first classes in Kathakali that were held here even before Kalamandalam came into being. We remember the thrill with which we watched the famous play of Kavalam Narayana Panicker Avanavan Kadamba staged here in the school under a huge Thespesia tree. Recently we heard the poem in Tamil by Neela Padmanabhan describing the school and its environs.
Then what went wrong? Now the precious school building dating 1889 is in a state of decay. With a little effort this can be restored and preserved as a historical monument. When we heard about the total upliftment of the Nadakavu school in Kozhikode through the PRISM program , we wonder why this school is left to die like this. And now the last nail has been sealed on the coffin- the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) has been given 2 acres from the school campus to make a bus bay and a shopping complex. While we do agree that this may be needed, we are shocked about the way in which this school is left to deteriorate without any attempt to revive it.
We believe that there are many options available in this area where the above developments can be implemented.
Should the 130 year old school campus gifted by a generous family for educational purposes alone be destroyed like this? Should 50 trees growing in this crowded part of the city, supplying oxygen and reducing heat be cut to make way for buses and shops? How will the last remaining children in the school find a peaceful atmosphere to learn and play? Are these also part of true development and progress?
These are some questions for which we seek answers…
We are happy to know that in this campaign to conserve the school space, we have the support of many people in the city. Tree Walk which did a survey here found that there are 32 species of plants of which 2 are not found anywhere else in the city. The open spaces and playground have been proved to play a vital role in controlling temperature extremes and cooling the surroundings. Tree Walk found that on a hot summer noon, the temperature drops by 6 degree centigrade as you walk into the school campus. The Heritage Walk group and the Kerala Council for Historical Research are also actively with us in proving the historical value of this a space. This could be our last chance to look at city planning and development in a new way by suggesting the need for green spaces and distress zones.
We wish to suggest that the Attakulangara Central High School be upgraded to a Higher Secondary Status with improvement in infrastructure and quality of education. In this manner, our Alma Mater can be restored back to its original glory.
Let posterity remember us as a generation with reverence and pride about our past rather than those who destroyed the invaluable cultural, historical and natural heritage that this school is.
Anitha.S in conversation with Gomathy, Lalitha, Peer Mohammed, Gopan , Bina Tharakan, Dr. Cherian , Saji, Hariharan and reading SOS : Save our Schools article by Dr. Achuth Shankar in The Hindu.
Please join this campaign to CONSERVE THE ATTAKULANGARA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL by writing to the Chief Minster, Govt Of Kerala and the TRIDA Chairperson asking to withdraw from the plan and search for alternate spaces to develop bus bay and shopping complex.
CM Mobile : 9447033333/
Email: : [email protected]
Trida Chairperson mob: 9447401543
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