Monthly Archives: May 2014

Walk like a historian

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Acquainting oneself with the rich legacy of the city they live in, unraveling the hidden facets and discussing interesting details as they take a guided tour of the city- heritage walks are keeping the history enthusiasts in the city on their toes. Testimony to that are the recent Old Coimbatore Heritage Walk and the Perur Payanam, as a part of the annual celebrations of the city that had students and history enthusiasts in full attendance.

Entrepreneur Shankar Vanavarayar, one of the organizers of the heritage walk, had told us, “Coimbatore is laced with both ancient and modern architecture. One of the ideal steps to preserve the heritage and let the generation next know about it is by imparting knowledge on the subject and documenting all the buildings in the city.”

Historian CR Elangovan, who is quite kicked about these heritage walks, enthuses that they are an ideal way to impart lessons on the legacy of a place. “This is, in fact, the best way to educate the current and future generations about the legacy of a city. Teachers do talk about the history in a classroom setting, but there is nothing like going to the venue and seeing it yourself. Live tour leaves a lasting impact. Coimbatore doesn’t have a very rich history to boast about and most of the heritage buildings here are only 200 years old. These walks help people take a trip down memory lane.”

RJ Krishna, though seconds Elangovan that heritage walks do their bit, he maintains that there are other modes of passing on the knowledge. “Heritage walks do help unravel great facts, but it shouldn’t be restricted to history students and closed groups. For instance, when the Semmozhi Maanadu happened in Coimbatore, almost every wall in the city on the road that led to the Maanadu venue had writings about the richness of Tamil language. This was an easy way to reach out to the masses in Coimbatore and the purpose of the event was served well. Something on those lines with writings or illustrations that depict the history of Coimbatore on the walls before and during the heritage walks and weeks would be another way to reach everyone. This way, we can reach out to a larger group.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by P Sangeetha,  TNN / May 05th, 2014

Once branded village to mark centenary of draconian law

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Madurai : 

The three km narrow road to Keelakuyilkudi village from the Madurai – Theni highway is unusually winding. “It was a deliberate design by our ancestors to delay British policemen from reaching the village quickly,” says Pon Harichandran, a villager.

By the time British forces negotiate the curves, messengers atop Samanarmalai would signal villagers who would prepare to take on the policemen. Keelakuyilkudi, now an agrarian village, was one place that gave nightmares for British until they left India, thanks to the militant clan of villagers belonging to ‘piramalai kallar’ community. It was to tame them British enforced the draconian Criminal Tribes Act (CTA), 100 years ago.

Keelakuyilkudi was the first village in Madras Presidency where CTA was enforced. “It was 1914, three years after CTA was extended to Madras Presidency, the British cracked down on Keelakuyilkudi villagers,” says Su Venkatesan, whose Sahitya Akademi award winning debut novel ‘Kaaval Kottam’ dwelt in detail about the Act. The villagers have organised a three-day meet from May 5 to mark the centenary of CTA.

According to CTA, the males of a village right from adolescents to aged should appear in the nearest police station and leave their fingerprints every evening and morning. This was to restrict their movement and ensure that they do not go on a burgling spree. Of the 600-odd males of Keelakuyilkudi, more than 350 men were under the ambit of CTA. But Harichandran said that even before CTA was enforced in 1914, all men from Keelakuyilkudi were taken to police station and forced to stay there every night.

The villagers used to go to Tiruparankunram police station, eight miles away twice a day to leave their fingerprints. Though villagers admit that there were instances of theft by Keelakuyilkudi men, they were later given the job of guarding Madurai due to their valour. “But when they were refused payment for guarding the city, a common man from Keelakuyilkudi took on a senior British police officer which provoked them to enforce the law,” Harichandran says.

A Veemarajan (71), a descendent of CTA victims, says whenever something was stolen in any part of Madurai, police would swoop down only on Keelakuyilkudi. “Police would enter into our house anytime and arrest anyone without a warrant,” he said.

“Neighbouring villagers would not speak to us fearing police action,” he said. Peeliyamma (70) says during her marriage, many expressed concern why she chose a man from Keelakuyilkudi.

Later, the Act was extended to Urappanur and Perungamanallur villages also. It was at Perungamanallur 16 villagers including a woman were shot down by British for resisting the Act in 1920.

As resistance of the Act continued, British established a permanent police post in Keelakuyilkudi. A munsif court and a jail were also established. “Twice in a week, a munsif would visit the court and settle the cases,” a villager recalls.

Simultaneously, the British also set up a handloom unit, opened a school, the first girls school in the state and even a bank to provide loans for pursuing alternative means of livelihood. But the villagers resisted everything that was British.

The Act was finally repealed after independence in 1949. The dilapidated building that housed the munsif court stands a silent testimony to the harrowing past of the village.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / by  V. Mayilvaganan, TNN / May 05th, 2014

Former Judge’s Contribution to the Welfare of Dalits

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders
Dignitaries at the release of Ambedkar Oliyil Enathu Theerpugal | Martin Louis
Dignitaries at the release of Ambedkar Oliyil Enathu Theerpugal | Martin Louis

Releasing a book written by former Madras High Court judge K Chandru, N Ram of Kasturi & Sons Limited said that Chandru was one of the judges who stood up for the welfare and rights of the marginalised sections of society.  Speaking here recently after releasing Ambedkar Oliyil Enathu Theerpugal, by Chandru, Ram highlighted how Chandru continued his fight for the rights of Dalits and other marginalised people even after being sworn in as a judge.

“As an advocate, he worked for the welfare of the marginalised and weaker sections. Many had doubts whether he could continue the good work after becoming a judge. But he believed that, within the limits of the law, he could work for the welfare of the marginalised,” Ram said.

In the introduction to the book, Chandru recalls that an incident in 1968 in Venmani village of Thanjavur district, where 44 Dalits were burnt to death, made him write this book.

VCK leaders Thol Thirumavalavan and Ravi Kumar, columnist Gnani and professor Pa Kalyani participated in the event.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / May 12th, 2014

GH Docs Undertake Complex Hysterectomy on Paraplegic

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Doctors at Raja Sir Ramasamy Mudaliyar (RSRM) Hospital in Royapuram successfully carried out a complicated hysterectomy on a 39-year-old paraplegic from Kumbakonam.

Kavitha (39), who was paraplegic and suffered from myelomeningocele, a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close, was self-dependent until she suffered a prolapsed uterus a year back.

Private hospitals in Kumbakonam and Thanjavur refused to perform vaginal hysterectomy on her as it was difficult to administer anaesthesia and perform the surgery. She then approached doctors at Raja Sir Ramasamy Mudaliyar Hospital in Royapuram.

Doctors said the woman, who was less than three feet tall, was unable to recline, slept in prone position (on the belly), always sat up when awake, could only crawling around, and defecation and urination was involuntary. She had previously undergone a surgery to remove a cyst on her spinal cord.

A team of seven doctors operated on Kavitha on May 13. “In most cases, it is safe to administer anaesthesia in the spine and the surgery is done with the legs held up. But in her case, she was paraplegic from waist down. If she is not given anaesthesia, there could be a hypertensive crisis and there are chances of her dying on the table,” explained Dr AL Meenakshi Sundaram, anaesthetist, who was part of the team that performed the surgery.

A doctor explained that Kavitha was made to lie in a 45 degree head-up tilt position and anaesthesia was given through her windpipe with the anaesthetist standing on a stool. “We could not lift her lower limbs up like it is done in regular cases. She was also on manual ventilation throughout the surgery,” doctors said.

After the surgery, Kavitha was put in the intensive care unit. She is expected to be discharged in three days, said doctors.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / May 16th, 2014

Travellers, the small little town of Sadras has a lot to offer you

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
The fort of Sadras in the sleepy little town of Kalpakkam takes us back to a time when it was a hub of trade and a much contested seat of power.
The fort of Sadras in the sleepy little town of Kalpakkam takes us back to a time when it was a hub of trade and a much contested seat of power.

Sadras: 

The serene fort of Sadras stands strong, yet fragile in all its ruined glory. Not many would know that it exists in the sleepy little town of Kalpakkam — who would notice it when there is a nuclear power plant coming up two kms away.

Sadras is a quiet fishing hamlet and the fort was one of the seats of power of the Dutch who docked there in the early 17th century. They, like the other Europeans, landed here to pursue their interests in trade. The fort  happened to be standing at the heart of a battlefield, with the Dutch, Portuguese, French and British fighting to establish their monopoly here. It’s no surprise then that the fort retains a crippled magnificence.

Thus, I stand among the ruins of the fort of Sadurangapattinum, as it was called then, before it was anglicised to ‘Sadras’ by the Europeans. A white tomb and cannon adorn the entrance to the cemetery, the warehouses have been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India and the fort walls are charred, yet red.

Story has it that the battle of Sadras was fought between the British and Dutch. After suffering a brief setback in the first war the British took over in the early 19th century, razing the fort to the ground, firing cannon from the sea.

So what drew the Europeans to this calm village? This place was under the stronghold of the Cholas and later became a part of the Vijayanagara Empire, it being a bustling hub of trade and a weaving centre, well known for  its muslin export to the Europeans.

The keeper of the fort tells me all about the graves and their inscriptions. Further inside, in a room assumed to be a secret chamber or dungeon, there is a gaping hole where the central structure has caved in, making way for the sun to light up the room.

We step further into the fort, the ruins in red and black standing out against the tall green weeds that are creeping up everywhere. Beyond the warehouses I climb the ramp, leading to the roof of the rooms, which is  the highest point of the fort. I stand and listen to the distant roar of the sea, stretching out like a blanket far beyond the horizon.

I can see in my mind’s eye what the red structure must have looked like in all its original splendour. A fort, marked with triangular, yet rook-like pillars, with cannon and battlements at its corners; beautifully carved archways in white and red, leading to the warehouses and chambers of the settlers beyond, abuzz with activity. The lapping of the waves pulls me back to the present. It’s time to leave the past and enjoy the beach in front of me.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Travel / Deccan Chronicle / by  R. Supraja / May 12th, 2014

Chennai is a Telugu word, nothing Tamil about it: Historian

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Chennai :

What does Chennai mean? The question troubled Paris-based historian J B P More quite a lot. After painstaking research, he found the answer.

In his recently released book, titled ‘Origin and Foundation of Madras’, More says, “Chinapatnam and Chennapatnam were the other names for Madras used by Tamil and Telugu settlers in the area. Chennapatnam was ‘Tamilised’ as Chennai but the word didn’t mean anything in Tamil. It’s undoubtedly a Telugu word.”

Madraspatnam was derived from Medu Rasa Patnam, said More, who was in Chennai on Saturday to release his book. “When Nayak Venkatappa (a local chieftain) issued a grant (a portion of the area where subsequently Fort St George came up) in favour of the English in 1639, only Madraspatnam was mentioned in it. But during the 1640s, two new names for Madraspatnam or for the area inhabited by Tamils and Telugus around Fort St George seems to have come into existence. They were Chinapatnam and Chennapatnam,” he said.

Chinapatnam would have been the first name that would have come into existence in the Tamil-Telugu quarters to signify the Black Town of Madraspatnam. “‘Chenna’ in Telugu means fair and is not to be confused with the Tamil ‘Chinna’, which means small. In Tamil, ‘Chenna’ is meaningless,” said More.

He said in the Tamil Lexicon, the Tamil word ‘Cennai’ has been mentioned which would signify ‘a drum announcing religious procession of an idol’. More said there was no reference in documents and literature of the period to ‘Chennai’ as a drum.

“In the document of Beri Timanna, we find ‘Chenna’ written as ‘Chennai’. Thus Chenna Kesava Perumal became Chennai Kesava Perumal and Chennapatnam became Chennai Pattanam.

This seems to be purely the work of a translator of the 19th century who had preferred to Tamilise the Telugu word ‘Chenna’ into ‘Chennai’ so it sounded more Tamil,” said More. “The word ‘Chennai’ seems to have been born to designate Madras town. Its origin is Telugu. There is nothing Tamil in it,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by M T Saju,  TNN  / May 04th, 2014

First Time Models Bust a Move at ‘Ramp Graduation’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

ModelsCF15may2014

If you think fashion, styling and walking the ramp is all about professionals and years of intensive training, you’re mistaken. The one thing that was obvious to the spectators of the Dreeam Cast modelling workshop fashion show was that all that matters when you are under those hot and blinding spotlights is ‘attitude’.

For the 25 kids and 20 adults who walked the ramp for the first time on Monday, the experience wasn’t about it being a stepping stone to a professional modelling career. It was about feeling good about themselves, losing inhibitions and gaining confidence.

“Right from the two-year-old kids to the adults, all of our students walked the ramp for the first time. And I tell you, the experience has given them a new perspective on how they view their lives. Whether they become models or not, they now know how to portray themselves and how to style themselves. That’s an invaluable thing to people,” said photographer Karthik Srinivasan, the man behind Dreeam Cast.

The event was organised as a five sequence show, with themes including ethnic, western and fusion. The most entertaining, if not the most striking, was the sequence that had the rampwalkers, both adult and kids, attired in beach party wear jiving to heart thumping tunes.

The dancing was an important part of the 10-day workshop according to Karthik. “It is important for them to lose their inhibitions. And quite frankly, most professional rampwalkers have no idea how to dance,” he pointed out. “We made sure our students would learn to relax on the ramp and I think you can judge how it worked out,” he said.

And the event concluded its dazzling exhibition in true fashion show mode, with the final sequence featuring women in a series of elegant yet striking evening dresses and men in dark brooding black. “Whatever we aim to do, we do teach them how to model. And this show which we put up for every year’s batch of students shows both the world and them what they have learnt,” said Karthik. And if the attitudes of some youngsters who hit the ramp were are any indication, some of them are definitely on the fast-track to becoming hot-shot models soon.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express Features – Chennai / May 14th, 2014

The Literary Connect

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan or NBBSS is a phenomenon in itself, the reason being Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore, as he was its first president after inaugurating it in 1923, in Allahabad. Being an all India organisation, it has chapters in a lot of cities. Earlier, the headquarters was in Allahabad but now it is in Delhi.

Saswati Mukherjee, secretary, NBBSS, Chennai, says, “The Chennai chapter started way back in 1982 and since then we have tried to preserve our culture through literary meets and talks.” Apart from a biannual magazine called Sagari, which is a compilation of works by  members of the organisation, the group also organises literary competitions and meets. Saswati elaborates about the competitions, “We send the various works to renowned literary geniuses in Kolkata and Delhi, who select the best among them and the deserving candidate is awarded under various categories.” As for their meets, these events involve everything from theatre to poetry recitals, story-telling and dance performances. This time, the plan is to organise a theme-based meet with the theme, ‘How Tagore influenced you,’ she says.

Saswati tells us, “I’ve been a part of this group for 10 years and it’s beautiful to see people actively participate and encourage participation. There are many Bengalis in Chennai who wish to preserve our culture and our job is to encourage them and try to keep our culture alive in a different city.” She adds that they get theatre artists, authors, vocalists and musicians from Kolkata for their annual meet.

She says, “We are collaborating with Chennai Bengali for the cultural meet on June 22 to reach a wider audience.” Looks like the meet is going to be a big hit so Bengalis better Toiri Thako (be ready)!

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Pyusha Chatterjee – Chennai / May 15th, 2014

“Let’s help women navigate a world that is not so full of women”

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Indra Nooyi is the Charman/CEO, PepsiCo, a highly profiled and globally acknowledged businesswoman. Indra has entered into popular culture as the self-made female CEO. Indra began her career in her native India, working at Johnson & Johnson and textile company Mettur Beardsell, after studying for a BS from Madras Christian College in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. She moved to the USA in 1978 to study for a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management at Yale, interning at consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton during her studies. She then joined Boston Consultancy Group, followed by managerial positions at Motorola and Asea Brown Boveri, before joining PepsiCo in 1994.

At PepsiCo, Indra has headed up the company’s global strategy for more than a decade, as senior vice president of corporate strategy and development between 1996 and 1999, senior vice President and CFO of the company in 2000 and 2001, President and CFO from 2001, President and CEO from 2006 and CEO and Chairman from 2007. She has overseen major changes for the business, including the acquisition of Tropicana (1998), merger with Quaker Oats (2001) and divesture of the restaurant company later known as YUM! Brands, inc. (1997). 2010 saw the completion of PepsiCo’s $7billion takeover of Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas, leading to the formation of the wholly-owned subsidiary Pepsi Beverages Company. The acquisition of Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods in 2011 was the company’s largest ever international takeover, making Pepsico the number one food and beverage provider in Russia.

Indra has a considerable public profile, being regularly ranked among lists of the world’s most powerful women, including in Forbes and Fortune – the latter naming her the most powerful woman in business each year from 2006-2010. Forbes also ranked Indra third in their list of ‘Most Powerful Moms’ and media attention often centres on her position as a role model for women (and mothers) in the business place. Honours and awards include her election to a fellowship at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008, being titled CEO of the Year in 2009 by the Global Supply Chain Leaders Group and being named in the Best CEOs list published by Institutional Investor in their All-America Executive Team Surveys from 2008 to 2011.

Indra is married to Raj K. Nooyi and the couple have two daughters. The family is based in Connecticut.

In own words, “I grew up in the south of India in a city called Madras, about 10 million people there, now it’s maybe 15 or more.  And I grew up in a city where there was no water.  Every morning, my mom would get up at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. in the morning and she’d wait for the taps to start releasing water because the corporation would release water from the central reservoir and water would trickle in. My mom would find every pot and pan to fill water in and to give the kids and my dad three containers of water, which was your quota for the day.  And you’d learn how to wash yourself, to clean yourself, your uniform had to be washed in it, everything with those three containers of water.”

“In the case of Gossip Girl, it really improved my standing with my kids because I never watched the show.  I don’t even know what the show is about except that I got a little text from my daughter saying, “Mom, what happened?  Why are you on Gossip Girl?”  And I said, “Did I do something bad that they’re gossiping about me?”  She said, “No, Blair wants to be like you.”

with me.  If you think of a name like, you know, a simple name versus say name that’s kind of complicated like Indra Nooyi, I think it sounds a little bit more exotic.  So, it has nothing to do with the person and all to do with the name.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.”

“I’m going to tell you something from first-hand experience. Of all the countries in the world, the US is still the most open and the most welcoming country bar none. I don’t see any evidence of anything changing in a meaningful way.”

“We need jobs and I am not talking about 5,000 or 10,000 jobs, we need several 100,000 jobs fast so that we get confidence back in the economy, we can get people back to work then have the multiplier effect of people going back into construction jobs and then the multiplier effect of them dragging other jobs with it.”

“Growing up in India, I had a long-distance love affair with America. I admired everything about this country — its ideals, its commitment to justice, equality and its willingness to break barriers.”

While Indra advises business people to be ambitious in their careers – “there are no limits to what you can do” – she argues that “it isn’t money, prestige, or power (which constitutes success) because net worth can never define self worth.” Rather people should work out what fulfils them personally – “devoting your time, your life, to doing what you love most.”

She also wants her company to make the world better and expand at the same time:

“I watched the incredible meltdown of the global economy because there was a singular flaw in capitalism. Capitalism lost its conscience. There was a maniacal focus on today; there was a maniacal focus on 24 hours out. People forgot what the consequences of each of their decisions would be for society at large because they didn’t worry about the stakeholders; they worried very narrowly about a narrow group of shareholders.

“So, performance of purpose was born, and performance of purpose only means deliver great performance while keeping an eye on all of the stakeholders.  So, you as a company can do better by doing better. It is not corporate social responsibility. Every aspect of purpose delivers profit.  When you use less water, you have lower costs.  When you use less energy, you have lower cost. When you do a plant-based product, PET bottles and plastic bottles, you have less commodity volatility, you deliver more profit.

“Performance and purpose are linked; it is not corporate social responsibility.  But it’s born out of a deep-seeded experience that I’ve had, and it’s also born out of the nature of society today.”

Indra has always stressed the importance of sustainable and ethical business, in part stemming from her childhood experiences: “you can’t have a large corporation using excess water in a town where there’s no water to eat or drink or live –  I think that’s a fundamental problem with this.”

Behaving responsibly is, for her, entirely compatible with wider business goals: “Success comes with reaching out and integrating with the community…and giving back to the communities and neighbourhoods, more than what you took out of them.”

She particularly emphasises the importance of women being able to express and pursue their ambitions, listing her own mother as one of her “greatest role models”

For women to succeed in business she sees them as having to “help each other — coaching, mentoring, and providing tips.” She explains: “we all understand the issues we face. Many of us work in important jobs where we can also help other women navigate a world that is not so full of women.”

source: http://www.businessdayonline.com / Business Day / Home> Leading Woman / May 02nd, 2014

TAMBARAM : A hawk’s eye

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, World Opinion

 

Spreading awareness: Walton Browne recently spoke at Madras Christian College. / Photo: G. Krishnaswamy. / The Hindu
Spreading awareness: Walton Browne recently spoke at Madras Christian College. / Photo: G. Krishnaswamy. / The Hindu

British falconer Walton Browne is staying in Pallavaram and is on a mission to spread awareness about these birds of prey, writes Vipasha Sinha

Walton Woollard Browne (66), a British national, has been a regular to Chennai since 2007. It is his love for raptors that brings him back every year.

Having been in the falconry business for many years, he has travelled around the world to learn more and more about these magnificent birds.

“I have been in the falconry business in the U.K. for over 53 years. It involves training the hawks and falcons for hunting, display and other recreational flying. We discovered they can be trained to scare smaller birds flying around the airport runways, which will help avoid bird hits. He met Airport Authorities regarding Bird Hit Management, but nothing has come out of it so far.

“I’ve been visiting India for the past seven years and have worked on raptor conservation. I have noticed that the kite population has considerably declined in the Pallavaram and the airport area. Also, the increase in cases of bird hits is a cause for worry for the airport. Bird scaring is a vital exercise and is used at many international airports including Sofia International Airport, Jersey International Airport, The Royal Air Force and Benbecula Airport,” says Walton, who has made Pallavaram his temporary home.

It is not legal in India to train falcons, but he says human intervention is required when the species are on the verge of extinction.

In 2011, he helped in forming the Association for the Conservation of Indian Raptors. “We work towards education and awareness about Indian raptors. Every year I come down to talk at various events. This time I spoke at the Madras Christian College, Tambaram. The response was good,” he says.

There is very little awareness about raptors, outside the scientific community, he adds. “These birds are an important part of the eco-system and I want the message to go out schools and colleges and save these magnificent creatures.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> DownTown / by Vipasha Sinha / Chennai – May 01st, 2014