Besant Nagar residents struggle to preserve Schmidt Memorial

On Sunday, a commemoration event is planned at the site by the residents, in honour of Schmidt. C Ramakrishnan, of Federation of Adyar Residents’ association, FEDARA, says, “We have been asking the authorities to restrict the movement and activities around the structure. People come to the spot and take photos and have been scribbling messages like ‘I love you’ on the memorial. We have seen many trying to climb over the enclosure, threatening its maintenance.  It is not just enough to restore it, but also important to ensure its protection.”

He adds that they have sought round-the-clock security for the memorial, which is a few years short of a century to get a heritage tag. Civic movements like SPARK is fighting hard to keep the memorial alive and in shape.

Kamakshi Subramaniyan, co-founder of SPARK and a senior citizen activist in the area, rues that the lack of awareness about this memorial even among officials is a challenge for its preservation. “When I wanted to get this memorial restored six years ago, there were helpful officials in the Corporation, who ensured that the memorial got its glory again. Now, however, the lack of security guards is threatening its preservation,” she says.