MYSORE: Long after the literary world and fans of R.K. Narayan paid tributes to the celebrated writer on his centenary recently, the city where he really belonged, is finally waking up to honour the man who put Mysore on the international map.

For, the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) will take up the issue of installing a statue of Narayan in the city during its meeting next month.

This followed a representation by the citizens of Mysore to Deputy Commissioner S. Selvakumar and the latter agreed to table the issue in the coming meeting of the MUDA, which is the authorised body to issue permission for it.

Mr. Selvakumar said he would include the issue in the agenda in the next meeting of the MUDA.

A group of citizens including veteran photojournalist T.S. Satyan, industrialists P.V. Giri and B.S. Pai, M. Lakshmana of the Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore met the Deputy Commissioner and appealed to him to help install a statue of R.K. Narayan.

The citizens said in a memorandum that ``the whole literary world has celebrated the novelist's birth centenary and many senior litterateurs of the city had already discussed the issue at different platforms to honour Narayan but nothing seemed to be working.'' They appealed to the Deputy Commissioner to direct the MUDA to install the statue and release sufficient funds for it.

Mr. Lakshaman of the ACICM told The Hindu that the cost was estimated to be around Rs. 30 lakh.

The citizens visited a few areas to identify a suitable place. ``We have agreed to have the statue installed at Children's Park (Yezdi Park) next to the Hardinge Circle,'' he said. A structure would be constructed near the statue and efforts made to make it a tourist spot, he said.

The demand to honour Narayan was first taken up by a group of Mysoreans who launched a blog campaign that won them tremendous public support from across the world and was extensively covered by the media.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail