Ardent campaigner for a memorial for Idukki dam fame Kolumban passes away
Bhaskaran Kani, the grandson of Kolumban who instilled in the British the idea of Idukki dam, had campaigned hard for a memorial for Kolumban. The memorial was set up in 2020
Thenan Bhaskaran Kani, who had tirelessly campaigned for a proper memorial for his grandfather Chemban Karuvellayan Kolumban for the crucial role he played in the construction of Idukki dam, died on Friday night at Cheruthoni in Idukki. He was 90.
Bhaskaran Kani, the head of the Kolumban tribal colony, had filed numerous applications before the officials to construct a memorial for his grandfather behind the State’s prime hydel dam in Idukki. His efforts led to the State government constructing a memorial in 2020 at Vellappara, along the Puliyanmala-Thodupuzha State highway, where Kolumban was buried.
Keeping memory alive
Rajappan T.V., a relative, said that Bhaskaran Kani held his grandfather in high regard and lit a lamp at the memorial daily. “He conducted special prayers on Tuesday and Friday at the memorial. He wanted future generations to remember Kolumban’s contributions,” he said.
The memorial of Chemban Karuvellayan Kolumban at Vellappara near Cheruthoni in Idukki
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Chemban Kolumban, a tribal chieftain, was instrumental in realising the Idukki dam. While guiding Malankara Estate superintendent W.J. John and his friend A.C. Thomas on a hunting trip in 1922, he told them the story of the Kuravan and Kurathi hills, the Periyar river that flowed in between. The narration sparked in Thomas the idea of a dam and in 1932, a proposal was submitted to the then-Travancore ruler. The Idukki dam, Asia’s largest arch dam, was commissioned in 1975 at this site.
Bhaskaran Kani’s funeral was held at Kolumban Colony on Saturday. He wife Omana predeceased him. He is survived by his children Sudha Rajappan, Janaki, Indira, Valsa, Sasi, and Chandran.
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