Kasaragod: The Kasaragod District Panchayat has cleared all outstanding dues to renowned sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman ahead of the unveiling of his tallest work, ‘Victims’, a tribute to the district's endosulfan survivors, on Friday.

Kerala Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will unveil ‘Victims’ and another sculpture, ‘Freedom’, at the District Panchayat office premises at 10.30 am.

District Panchayat president Sabu Abraham said the last pending payment of ₹3.20 lakh had been settled, bringing the total project expenditure to ₹65.20 lakh against the initial sanction of ₹20 lakh.

Kanayi, known for his monumental works across the state, began working on 'Victims' in 2008, and it took nearly two decades to complete. The work was held up by funding difficulties, changes in the District Panchayat administration, floods and the Covid-19 pandemic. "Kanayi has not charged anything for his artwork. He brings workers, procures materials and collects only the expenses. We had sanctioned ₹10 lakh in the last financial year, but the expenditure exceeded ₹13.20 lakh. The pending ₹3.20 lakh was sanctioned in this financial year and paid to him," Abraham said.

The District Panchayat is also planning to develop the area around the sculptures with landscaping, seating arrangements and other facilities. The work is expected to be completed by March 2027, Abraham said.

The landscaping is intended to make the premises more inviting and enhance the viewing experience. One of Kanayi's concerns has been the three-storey District Panchayat building, which came up after he began work on the sculptures and now stands less than three metres from the 40-foot ‘Victims’. The sculptor had said the building compromised the backdrop he had envisioned for the work.

"We are very optimistic that Kanayi's tallest sculpture on endosulfan victims will become a tourist attraction in Kasaragod town, like Bekal. His Yakshi at Malampuzha dam has become a unique attraction, drawing people to see the sculpture. Likewise, these works will attract visitors to Kasaragod town," Abraham said.

'Victims' portrays the human misery caused by the aerial spraying of endosulfan on cashew plantations in the district for nearly two decades. The work depicts two children with disproportionately large heads and arms clinging to their helpless mother.

‘Freedom’, standing alongside it, depicts a group of people with raised arms and clenched fists, seemingly raising revolutionary slogans, while another figure sits hunched in front of them.

Abraham said the artistic value of the works could not be measured in monetary terms. "There is no price for art. Kanayi created these sculptures to convey the human misery caused by aerial spraying of endosulfan. Questions may arise about spending so much on the project, but Kanayi is one of Kerala's great sculptors. He has created something new for our district in a cubist style, and its value cannot be measured in money," he said.