Why Manaveeyam Veedhi is at the center of political battle between BJP, CPI(M) in Kerala capital

A view of Manaveeyam Veedhi, the cultural corridor of Kerala’s capital city.

Manaveeyam Veedhi, the cultural corridor of Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, is now caught in a political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The BJP, which took power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the local body elections last December, is trying to bring some changes to the street, which has hosted various cultural events as well as protest programs for the last three decades.

The smoldering issues came to light on October 16 when the museum police tried to seize the microphone ahead of a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to CPI(M) leader and former Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.Sivankutty, the refusal of police permission for the event with actor-activist Prakash Raj was given on the instructions of the society authorities.

Last week, the BJP-led corporation made clear its intention to make the street “protest-free” and restrict it to cultural activities, leading to protests by cultural activists who have been part of the street’s activities for a long time.

‘Extraordinary’

KG Suraj, secretary of Manaveeyam Theruvidam cultural collective and street library, calls the move a blatant overreach of authority. He said the corporation’s move to make the space “protest-free” by removing dissent is an intrusion on artists’ freedom of thought and expression.

“Manaveeyam Veedhi was built and subsequently renovated by the state government in coordination with various government departments. Any claim by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to have regulatory control over Manaveeyam Veedhi is purely illusory. The community of artists and enthusiasts at Manaveeyam Veedhi is of the view that art and culture should serve as instruments for social progress and social change in Manaveey through art, a tradition that has included protests and will continue to do so,” he said.

According to Mr. Sivankutty, Manaveeyam Veedhi is a road under the Public Works Department (PWD) and its management rights were never transferred to the Municipal Corporation.

“Everyone has the right to organize artistic and cultural programs at Manaveeyam Veedhi. However, such programs must be organized in a manner that does not threaten the fundamental vision of the space. No license is required to organize appropriate artistic and cultural programs at Manaveeyam Veedhi, nor has any single entity been empowered to oversee such activities. Political parties do not usually organize events at Manaveeyam Veedhi. This is the established understanding of Ye. consensus by organizing an event there last week which encouraged their hold on city leadership,” he said.

Attitude of Congress

Congress councilor KS Sabarinadhan said the corporation must take a stand to preserve Manaveeyam as a space that upholds all democratic rights. “It is unfortunate that the corporation is now trying to undermine the broad, culturally oriented vision of Manaveeyam. If there are any allegations of illegal activities on the stretch, the authorities should conduct an investigation with the help of the police or put in place increased security measures. Taking the stance that protests are not allowed in this cultural space is an anti-democratic measure,” he said.

According to the mayor’s office, the corporation will draft the bye-laws for Manaveeyam Veedhi after discussions with various stakeholders.

Published – November 6, 2026 11:41 AM IST