Attakulangara Central High School : The Last Word

By Anitha.S

16 November, 2015
Countercurrents.org

Since 2013, the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram has been witnessing a campaign of sorts that took the attention of the slow, discerning citizen amidst the din and speed of a fast growing urban space. It started with the discovery of the silent and unrequited service of producing life giving oxygen and absorbing toxic carbon dioxide ( on the eve of the Climate Change discussions globally about permissible limits and carbon tax) that 100 green tall beings were doing in the middle of the city. On further enquiry it was understood that along with these gigantic and grand trees there were 85 species of herbs close to Earth which were also making sure that soil nutrients are absorbed and recycled along with providing food for the butterflies, bees and dragonflies. It came as no wonder that this small green oasis is home to 25 species of birds, some of whom travel from afar to be here. The list of butterflies numbering more than 20 with several rare and uncommon to the city was a pleasant shock. What more does one need to exclaim and demand that this be declared a Urban Biopark where children should be given space to learn and play in the most sylvan of surroundings?

To add to this long and undeniable factors that made this space valuable was the fact that this 5 acre compound happened to be a 135 year old School run by the Kerala Government. Tracing the history of the school revealed many many more precious gems of truth that had been smothered by the dust and cobwebs of time and memory. It is here that stalwarts in Kerala history like Mannath Padmanabhan, Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer and Kukuliyar taught the students. It is here that many cultural performances like the concerts of Ariyakudi and the staging of Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s play Avanavan Kadamba took place. It is here that State Youth Festival for schools was held many years back. It is also here that less than 2 decades ago 2000 students studied in Tamil, English and Malayalam medium.

In a strange and cruel tryst of destiny, the school started wasting away. Buildings were not maintained in time. The enrolment plummeted to less than 100 by 2013. There was a decrepit, wild and unkept air around that prevented parents to bring the kids here. All attempts by a weak and stricken PTA for a Higher Secondary Status failed miserably. The emergence of a huge bus stop in front of the school taking away land created an insecure zone with no visibility for the school. But in spite of all this, the performance of the students in the coveted S.S.L.C Exam remained stable. Yet many lost out in the attempt to pursue their studies which could have been possible if this school had a Higher Secondary level too.

But after all what do the “few poor children” deserve? The socio-economic profile of the students revealed the terrible fact that many of them come from the most challenging physical, cultural and economic backgrounds that a fast growing city abhors, takes for granted, tramples and kills in its cruel pursuits.

Thus came in the grand plan of the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) to take over 2 acres of land from the school for a Mobility Hub – the reasons were that the school with less than 100 ‘dispensable items called students’ does not need so much of land when more crucial issues like traffic congestion and rehabilitation of traders were at stake.This hub would house 150 shops and park 25 buses by creating a space bereft of trees, birds, butterflies and of course the “poor, ill kept, anti-social elements called children from the slums and coastal villages of the city”.

The plan is on ,approved by the Kerala High Court that quashed all attempts by citizens to conserve this space. The school will be reduced to a small space with a large playground, TRIDA will rebuild 10 classrooms as compensation along with other amenities like bathrooms and kitchen, 10 huge trees will be cut for which 30 will be planted ( condescending tone to both “ the poor trees and children”). The large wall that will demarcate the school and commercial space will ensure that no birds will chose this space as refuge, that carbon dioxide will replace oxygen in proportion, that the urban heat island effect that the trees bring down by 5-6degree will be lost, that children will have to negotiate with traffic, noise and the real anti-social lure of shops nearby ( will there be a quality check on what will be the wares that these shops sell).

This is for sure Development sans love, care, concern for the underprivileged, the needy, the will and patience to listen to another thought and feeling, the hopes and dreams of those with less negotiating power and money- here poverty is a crime, to feel and love a tree, a bird, a little child that has no price tag is weakness and esoterism. Here Gandhiji’s talisman is torn and thrown into the gutters of Operation Anantha that is unearthing a lot of unpleasant truths about city development.Here, the city and its residents have lost out on a chance to sit together and plan so that urban development factors in trees, open spaces, de- stress zones, heritage areas and green lungs along with roads, safe parking and pedestrian space. Here we remember Tagore who said that “ the chariot of progress is choked by the dust, deafened by the noise, overwhelmed by the speed. If we ventured to ask “Progress towards what and for whom, it was considered to be peculiarly and ridiculously oriental to entertain such doubts about the absoluteness of progress.Of late a voice has come bidding us to take count not only of the scientific perfection of the chariot but of the depth of ditches lying across its path”.

This is the Last word on the Attakulangara Central High School located in the heritage zone of East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram city. By the time this reaches a wider audience, the chariot of progress might have rolled over the space meant for posterity and Nature.

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