CUSAT Garden Sculpture to be Revambed

Cusat registrar N Chandramohanakumar directed the gardener to alter the figurine sculpted out of a garden plant, after a complaint by the Cochin University Women's Welfare Association, a non-political association on the Cusat campus.

Officials at Cusat said the women's association had mentioned a Supreme Court ruling regarding display of vulgarity on campus, while making their demand, following which the registrar directed the gardener to make it "more civil". Staff said the gardener, who may have been offended by the directive, sharply pruned the breasts of the plant sculpture.

The episode has triggered debate because the hedge sculpture, initially fashioned by another gardener, Varghese, had been in the garden for some years without attracting any controversy, before suddenly being termed vulgar.

Reacting to the incident, Kerala's best-known sculptor, Kanai Kunhiraman said, "It is a great shame that this incident has happened in literate Kerala. In that case, they would see vulgarity in many of nature's creations, including many orchids, lady's finger, banana, brinjal, and the banyan tree.