The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Take over birthplace of seer: NSS

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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Take over birthplace of seer: NSS

Staff Reporter

Activists protest at Kannanmoola; traffic blocked for hours

— Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar

Fight for site: A rally taken out by the NSS members in the city on Wednesday demanding that the government take over the birthplace of Chattambi Swamy at Kannanmoola.

Thiruvananthapuram: Hundreds of Nair Service Society (NSS) members on Wednesday staged a demonstration at Kannanmoola junction demanding that the State government take over the birth place of Sree Chattambi Swamy and convert the land into a historical monument.

The land, where the seer and religious reformist is believed to have been born, is currently in private hands.

Owner’s claim

The owner of the land, Inspector General of Police B. Sandhya has disputed the claim of the NSS.

NSS workers offered floral tributes at the spot widely believed to be the birthplace of Chattambi Swamy. NSS Taluk Union president M. Sangeeth Kumar accused the police of siding with the landowner. He alleged that the police had removed some boards and hoardings erected by NSS members.

Police personnel were deployed in strength to prevent untoward incidents. NSS members from Thiruvananthapuram taluk participated in the demonstration and public meeting. NSS leaders said they would intensify the agitation if their demand was not met.

They said the Nair community as a whole aspired to have a historical monument in the name of the seer who contributed crucially to the making of modern Kerala.

O. Rajagopal, Nedumangadu Gopalan Nair, Susheelan Nair, M. Vinod Kumar and K. Mohankumar led the march. The police blocked traffic on the Pettah police station-Kannanmoola-Kumarapuram road for several hours. Assistant Commissioner, Shanghumugham, S. Sanal Kumar, and Circle Inspector, Pettah, Mahesh Kumar headed the police posse.

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