India

BJP‑led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Seeks to Make Manaveeyam Veedhi “Protest‑Free”

By S.R. Praveen

Manaveeyam Veedhi, the cultural corridor of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is now the focus of a dispute between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The BJP, which won control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the local body elections held last December, is attempting to change the use of the street, which has hosted cultural events and protest programmes for the past 30 years. The conflict surfaced on 16 October when Museum Police tried to seize a microphone during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. CPI(M) leader and former mayor V. Sivankutty said the denial of police permission for an event featuring actor‑activist Prakash Raj was due to instructions from the Corporation. Last week the BJP‑led Corporation announced its intention to make the street “protest‑free” and restrict it to cultural activities, prompting protests from cultural activists who have long used the space. K.G. Suraj, secretary of the Manaveeyam Theruvidam Cultural Collective and Street Library, called the move an overreach of authority. He said the Corporation’s attempt to eliminate expressions of dissent encroaches on artists’ freedom of thought and expression. “Manaveeyam Veedhi was constructed and renovated by the State government with coordination of various departments. Any claim by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to have regulatory control over Manaveeyam Veedhi is illusory. The community of artists and enthusiasts at Manaveeyam Veedhi holds that art and culture should serve as instruments for social progress and change. Manaveeyam Veedhi has a history of responding to emerging social issues through art, a tradition that has included protests, and will continue to do so,” he said. Sivankutty added that the road is under the Public Works Department (PWD) and its management rights have never been transferred to the Municipal Corporation. “Everyone has the right to conduct art and cultural programmes at Manaveeyam Veedhi. However, such programmes must be organised in a manner that does not compromise the fundamental vision of the space. The expectation is for people to participate in and enjoy the events held there. No license is required to host appropriate art and cultural programmes at Manaveeyam Veedhi, nor has any single entity been authorised to oversee such activities. Typically, political parties do not hold events at Manaveeyam Veedhi. This is an established understanding. Yet, the BJP has violated this consensus by organising an event there last week, emboldened by their hold on the city administration,” he said. Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh was not available for comment. Published – November 06, 2026 11:41 am IST