A few social activists of Hassan have opposed the State government’s proposal to shift the Government Boys’ Home located in the heart of the city to allow a memorial for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Instead, they urged the government to build the memorial keeping the boys’ home in its present location.
The government has taken up the construction of a memorial at A.K. Boarding Hall located next to Maharaja Park in the city to commemorate Dr. Ambedkar’s visit to the place in 1953-54. Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had announced ₹1 crore in his Budget for the purpose.
The structure now houses the Government Boys’ Home and the office of the Child Welfare Committee. As many as 48 children are staying put in the home. Among them include orphans, rescued child labourers, and victims of crimes. They need constant care and counselling. Hassan district administration has asked the Child Welfare Committee to look for an alternative building for the home as the construction of the memorial would begin. The members of the CWC have written to the administration requesting that the boys’ home should not be disturbed from its present location.
Now, social activists K.T. Jayashree, Kalavathi, Radha, and others have appealed to the administration to retain the home in the present building. Ms. Jayashree said nobody was opposed to constructing the memorial. However, the children should be allowed to stay close to the memorial. “If they are shifted to a different place, it would be difficult for them to reach their schools. The staff will find it difficult to provide them necessary health care if the new building is far from the city,” she said.
The members of the CWC have maintained that if their office was located in the centre of the city it would benefit people particularly children seeking help of the committee at difficult times.
