Tale of a mutilated mermaid: The art piece adorned the University lawns for 20 years

IIPM Mumbai Campus

In another act of moral policing, a few unknown people destroyed a piece of art in the campus of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala. The art piece in question was an 18-foot mermaid carved in earth and covered with grass artistically pruned. It added to the beauty of the University's administrative office lawns and was a centre of attraction to the art lovers for 20 years that it was there. Then it dawned on some people, including a highly placed University official, that the grass structure went against the campus ethics. And hence the artistically pruned bust of the mermaid was chopped off brutally.

It is said that this act was done as per the instructions of CUSAT Registrar N. Chandramohanakumar. The Registrar had been receiving complaints from some women organisations and individuals about the grass mermaid stating that it was obscene and should be removed. However, Chandramohankumar said that he was against mutilating the artefact. As an administrator, he was supposed to consider the complaints from Women’s Welfare Association of the CUSAT and a few other employees objecting on the nudity of the mermaid. He also referred to a Supreme Court order discouraging educational institutions exhibiting such kinds of nude artworks.

There was hue and cry from many quarters against the mischief. Art lovers, students, teachers and even state's ministers criticised the action. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said, “The obscenity is not in the art but in the minds of the viewers. There are so many such murals and sculptures in various temples of the country but no one sees immorality and obscenity in those artistic expressions.” There were protest marches. Many people felt the action was derogatory to the establishment. The artwork in grass was the brainchild of Varghese, a former CUSAT employee. Education Minister M.A. Baby, too, condemned the incident and ordered a probe into it.

Earlier, when a huge nude Yakshi was sculpted in Malampuzha Gardens in Palakkad district, there were protests from orthodox groups. On hearing about the vandalism at the University campus, Kanai Kunhiraman, the renowned sculptor of Yakshi was furious. “There are still some people like the ones who tried to beat me up in 1969 when I sculpted Yakshi. Education on a campus that does not inculcate appreciation of art would be purposeless,” he said.

V. Santhakumar, Associate Professor, Centre for Development Studies said the CUSAT incident showed a trend of "re-moralisation" in the state. Nevertheless, better sense prevailed and the University Senate held an emergency meeting and decided to take action against the vandals. It was also decided to reconstruct the mermaid. The role of the Registrar will also be probed. Proper action will be taken against all the people behind this incident, CUSAT Vice-Chancellor Ramachandran Thekkedath said.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal's voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on For Salman Khurshid, it is a big challenge ahead; and I personally look forward to a revolutionary couple of years ahead!

IIPM Adds Another Feather to Its Cap: This Time Gets the Best Business School of Asia Award
Item Numbers Are The New Mantras of Bollywood
Noida CEO rules out hike in land compensation
IIPM, GURGAON
Noida Extn dreams breaks as court scraps new acquisition

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)