145-year-old school pulled down, Puttur people want it rebuilt

Mangaluru: The Nellikatte school building, a 145-year-old heritage structure of Puttur, now lies in a heap of rubble after it was dismantled earlier this year.It had been abandoned for five years before it was razed to the ground.

Now, the people who fought for its restoration once want it rebuiltas per the original design. The school was built on a plot of 2.2 acres near the KSRTC bus stand.

Under the cover of dark the School Development and Management Committee had the building dismantled after getting a whiff of the heritage activists mounting pressure on the government to restore the structure.

The thick pillars, long corridors, spacious classrooms, sturdy walls built of mud and mortar held no fascination for the department, though the government high school functioned in the building for many decades and there are official records dating back to 1934,stating that late DrShivaramaKaranth,Jnanpith award winner, used to hold his Yakshagana training there in the evenings and talks on art and music.

"This is where Dr ShivramaKaranth and his friends gave birth to the Dasara festivities of Puttur town by organising a cultural festival including dance, drama music and Yakshagana," says town's heritage activist Dr Amrut Malla. "In that aspect, the school building was historic as it was connected to the town's heritage," Malla argues. There are records to show that the Kannada Sangha of Puttur was born here and itused to hold its meetings here, Purandar Bhat, a septuagenarian Kannada activist, had told the government.

Department officials on conditions of anonymity told Hans India that the building was allowed to deteriorate because it was not given its proper repairs, painting, and upkeep on a regular basis. The last time it was painted was in 1990.

"The Nellikatte School building wassuch a fabulous structure that it is rare to find similar one these days. I have gathered that it was over 145 years old and was truly a heritage structure," AmruthMalla said. "We have sent a proposal to the ONGC-MRPL for Rs. 56 lakhdonation for carrying out total restoration of the structure. Our engineers say that the basic structure was still in good condition but roofing, flooring and at a few places even walls had to be reinforced. The project has also been submitted to the department of heritage buildings and museums in Mysuru and we expect to get help both technically and financially as the department has the required expertise," says a report made to the government by the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.

The bureaucratic delays had left the school in the doldrums as if some vested interests wanted it to crumble on its own. But the School Development and Management Committee with the support of local politicians used heavy machinery and brought down the heritage building. The heritage activists say that the SDMC had no power to do that as it was the property of the education department.

The people of Puttur want the building to be resurrected in the same manner as it stood for 141 years (before the demolition) and some are planning bring it to the attention of Chief Minister BasavarajaBommai on Wednesday when he comes to Moodbidri to inaugurate new projects.