Memorials turn tourist spots showcasing less of history, more of controversy

Some memorials draw large number of visitors but many of them do not get enough patronage. While some of the memorials attract visitors due to the popularity of the leaders, there are others which are accorded importance due to their location and facilities. They are said to be historical monuments to recall the achievements and life of a leader, but in practice many such structures had resulted in controversies and have turned out to be an exercise to mobilise a vote bank based on the leader’s legacy, caste, or support base.

Recently, the state government had commenced works for the construction of a grand memorial resembling a phoenix for former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in an area of 50,000 square feet on the Marina beach triggering a dispute over its propriety. The works are under way despite many leaders opposing it on the ground that she had been proven guilty and was the prime accused in the disproportionate assets case.

The Dravidian governments, which had built most of the memorials, focus on beautification of their leaders’ memorials with the intention of catching people’s eyes and helping them carve a place in history.

Jayalalithaa’s memorial coming up at a prime location will have curvilinear walls, photo gallery, besides an audio-visual section to play her motivational stories, inspirational quotes and speeches. The complex spread over nine acres of land will have four pavilions on the granite path, water cascades and green belt besides an underground area for keeping the footwear of visitors. All this done to ensure that the memorial does not lose its sheen over time.

However, the present condition of memorials constructed for various leaders reveals another story. Despite the Gandhi mandapam at a prime place in Guindy housing six memorials, the footfalls there are low. One of the memorials is for the anti-Hindi martyrs, but rarely people know that such a memorial is even present there. Most of the ardent Tamil lovers too ignore the memorial since a memorial for former Chief Minister K Bhakthavatchalam who crushed the anti-Hindi agitation is also located nearby. While the Kamaraj memorial has a few visitors, another for India’s first Governor General C Rajagopalachari is used by the people to have food and take rest for some time, besides as a rendezvous. Subramania Bharathi is one of the popular poets in the state, but few people know there is a memorial for him in the city.

The Mullivaikkal memorial at Vilar village and the memorials for freedom fighters Veerapandia Kattabomman at Kayathar and VO Chidambaranar at Ottapidaram see a good number of visitors despite their remote location and lack of facilities.

The memorials for heroes in ancient Tamil Nadu were relatively simple with a piece of stone with the name of the buried. Such stones called as ‘Nadugal’ are found in Chengalpattu, Salem, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Coimbatore. ‘Pallipadai temples’ were built for kings and chieftains who were killed in battles. But, such rare monuments which highlight the history of Tamil Nadu remain obscure and unknown.