Mysuru: The dilapidated condition of the century-old Maharaja High School and PU College shot into limelight this morning with the alumni of the college staging a day-long dharna in front of the college drawing the attention of the State government.
Incidentally, today (July 14) is the birth anniversary of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar who established the school and the protesters kept a portrait of Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar along with the portraits of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi in the dharna. The protest was held near the bust of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on the college campus.
The protest was organised by Alumni Association of Maharaja’s High School and PU College. According to B.S. Sridhar Raje Urs, the President of the Alumni Association, Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar founded the ‘Raja Free School’ for the education of poor children in 1833. The Maharaja High School and the Maharaja Pre-University College is a continuation of the ‘Raja Free School’.
Successive governments have neglected the institution and the building is in a dilapidated condition. The compound in front of the institution has collapsed many years back. This has been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister’s office, District In-charge Minister, Deputy Commissioner, MUDA Chairman, Zilla Panchayat President, MLAs and the Heritage Commissioner, many times since two years but no action has been taken so far, forcing the association to stage a dharna.
Despite the college campus being located near heritage buildings including DC Office and Chamundi Guest House, it has not been classified as a Heritage building. “Unfortunately, we are celebrating the birth anniversary of the founder with a broken compound and a building without repairs and paint for years,” he said.
The demands of the association include immediate sanction of funds by the State Government directly from the Finance Department to the Public Works Department to undertake the construction of the compound wall and to repair the building and inclusion of the institution building in the Heritage List and carryout renovation and repair works as per the heritage guidelines.
He said that many prominent people have been educated here including celebrated novelist R.K. Narayan, well-known cartoonist R.K. Laxman, former CM Devaraja Urs, Vedanta Hemmige, Agaram Rangaiah, novelist Chaduranga and noted photographer T.S. Satyan (all late) and other personalities like art connoisseur K.V. Murthy and filmmaker M.S. Sathyu.
Sridhar Raje Urs said that he will meet Chief Minister Siddharamaiah this evening and submit a memorandum highlighting the woes of the institution.
Hearing about the dharna, Chairman of Maharaja High School and PU College School Development Management Committee (SDMC) MLA Vasu arrived at the college and heard the protesters. Displaying documents, he said that the issues of the college have already been highlighted before the government. He said that he would speak to the authorities and the CM to get immediate funds.
SDMC members Kalmaradappa, Siddaiah, Puttaveera Raje Urs, K. Subba Raje Urs, Ramachandra Raje Urs, Prasanna, D. Sevanthi Rai, Corporator D. Nagabhushan, former faculty of the PU College K.K. Devamma, college teachers and students participated in the dawn-to-dusk dharna.
Raja’s Free school was the first English school started in the Mysore Kingdom in 1833 after he lost his ruling powers. It was fully funded from his personal funds. To say it was poor students in 1833 is ludicrous to say the least. It was a just free school for those willing to learn English ! mr. South was the first head of the school followed by Mr. Cassin, Mr. van-in-Gen, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Holt , Mr. Denning in the two decades which followed. A new Building was inaugurated on July 30, 1866 by then Commissioner Mr. Bowring. After the death of Mummadi in 1868 the school management was taken over by the Government. The school staff also included a Kannada Pandit and a Translator. For a brief period the school was under Wesleyan Mission management in 1840 but reverted back later.
Mr. Vasu was a former mayor and also runs a host of educational institutions himself and in his current avatar as MLA sure should know something about management. I am sure he also has a say in utilizing Karnataka Legislators Local area Development Scheme ( KLLADS) . Understand as much 1009 crores of KLLADS remain unutilized. That speaks volumes about their apathy.
It is time SOM spearheads a Heritage Fund which can restore the growing list of sinking Heritage Buildings in Mysore and instead of just running stinging campaign against a Architect who was involved in restoration of Devaraja Market. Your role should not be scoring personal brownie points by condemning an intemperate comment in social media. You can do much more ! Common KBG lead the way !
Sir,
The buildings of Maharaja’s high school, Maharani’s college etc, in the area I would like to call College Park, are heritage buildings and need to be preserved. Our government blows a lot of hot air about Mysuru being a Heritage City, and yet does little to preserve what little heritage left in Mysuru.
Talk is cheap!