Biennial row gets murkier

KOCHI: The controversy surrounding the Kochi Muziris Biennial has become murkier with the former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Chief Hormis Tharakan, a trustee of the Kochi-Muziris Foundation, stating that he would have no other option but to quit from the Trust if serious financial lapses are found.“I don’t see a need for reacting in haste. However, I will not be continuing in the Trust if any financial misappropriation is found,” he said.  Noting that there were government representatives in the Trust besides the managing trustees, he said: “If the government representatives quit now, then I will have no other choice but to tender my resignation.” “During my entire official life, I’ve never been subjected to such allegations. And I don’t  want to get involved in any controversy in my retired life, as well,” Tharakan said.  Stressing that the functioning of the Kochi-Muzirius Foundation Trust has been transparent so far, he added the government had every right to take a look into the funds allotted. Moreover, an inquiry would help the Foundation clear the air, he added. On the auditing of the funds, he said: “What I was told is that the Trust had submitted the audit report to the government. So it’s the government’s responsibility to scrutinise it.” When drew his attention towards the allegations that Bose Krishnamachary, a trustee and the Artistic Director of the Biennial, had renovated his studio using the money that was allotted to the Trust, Tharakan said these allegations were baseless. “I had visited Bose’s studio in a rented building which is now used as the office of the  Biennial. Bose has shifted his studio to another building,” he said.   On his becoming a trustee, he said it was Former cultural minister M A Baby who had invited him to be a part of the Trust, last year. “It was a honour for me. There were also three government representatives in the Trust,” he said.  Stating that the that the state could benefit immensely from the Biennial, he urged that the government should take the initiative to conduct the biennial,even if the Foundation has to withdraw  from it. The event ran into trouble with the government asking the cultural secretary to furnish a report on the funding for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and also about the activities of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. Moreover, the Kochi Corporation had withdrawn from the programme when it courted controversies.