Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai's memorial in a sorry state

Ancestral property of the poet not being properly maintained by Kerala govt; an auditorium inaugurated in 2016 too has been gathering dust

- AROCKIARAJ J @Kasaragod

ON a misty afternoon after a monsoon rain at Manjeshwar, Gilivindu — the memorial of Karnataka's first Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai (1883-1963) painted in red and white — is a sight to watch. But Bhavanika, a massive auditorium attached to Gilivindu jointly inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Karnataka counterpart, Siddaramaiah, has been gathering dust ever since it was inaugurated in 2016. There is not a soul on the 1.23-acre property, except the lone caretaker.

Recently, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian had posted on Facebook about his meeting with former union minister and Congress leader Veerappa Moily in Bengaluru. The post said the minister discussed the renovation and expansion plans of the memorial with Moily, who is also the chairman of the Govinda Pai Memorial Trust. Cherian also said that he met Moily as per the instructions of the chief minister.