Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan has said that the tribal freedom fighter museum proposed in the Sugandhagiri cardamom project area near Lakkidi in the district will be a befitting monument for the tribal warriors of Wayanad.
Speaking after laying the foundation for the project here on Monday, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the indigenous people in the district, including Thalakkal Chandu, the commander-in-chief of the Kurichya soldiers of Pazhassi Raja, one of the first freedom fighters of the country, had played a major role in the freedom struggle, but their role was yet to be properly highlighted in history.
The first phase of the project would be completed in a year with financial support from the Central and State governments, said the Minister. There was also a plan to develop the museum into a deemed university in the future, he added.
The museum will be set up by the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS) at a cost of ₹ 16.66 crore on 20 acres of the 40 acres of land of the Tribal Rehabilitation Development Mission (TRDM) at Sugandhagiri.
