Monthly Archives: May 2015

From Salem Silk to Kovai Cotton, a story of GI tags

Business & Economy, Records, All

Chennai :

Some of the country’s distinct arts and crafts awarded the prestigious Geographical Indications (GI) tag have, for the first time, been compiled in a book.

The GI tag, a form of intellectual property right, is distinct from other forms of intellectual property rights (IPR) as it ascribes exclusivity to the community in a defined geography rather than to an individual as in case of trademarks and patents.

Madras high court additional government pleader P Sanjai Gandhi in his ‘Arts and Crafts of India’ has collated and described 64 arts and crafts that have been accorded the prestigious tag.

Thanjavur doll, Madurai Sungudi Saree, Swamimalai Bronze Work, Arani Silk, Salem Silk and Fabrics, Kancheepuram Silk, Kovai Kora Cotton and Bhavani Jamkkalam Carpet are some of the products from Tamil Nadu detailed in the book.

It also describes the origins of Budithi Bell and Brass Metal Craft, Kondaoalli Bommalu (wooden toy), Nirmal paintings, toys and crafts, Pembarthi Metal Craft, Silver Filigree of Karimnagar, Siddipet Gollabama Sarees, Pochampally Ikat Fabrics and Machilipatnam Embroidery from Andrhra Pradesh as well as Karnataka’s Bidriware, Kinhal Toys, Mysore Rosewood Inlay, Ilkal Sarees, Molakalmuru Sarees, Mysore Silk, Kasuti Embroidery and Sandur Lambani Embroidery. Alleppey Coir, Aranmula Kannadi (metal mirror) and Screw pine craft from Kerala are also mentioned .

Highlighting the rich legacy of the products, the book, for instance, explains how the Swamimalai Bronze Icons of Tamil Nadu can be traced to the Chola period (850-1279 AD) and how Kancheepuram’s weavers manufactured silk sarees for the royal families of Chola and Pallava empires. Similarly, Kovai Kora Cotton of Coimbatore dates to the Vijaynagara Empire and the Madurai Sungudi Saree is traced to the 16th century Nayak dynasty. According to folklore, Aranmula Kannadi, a mirror made of metal alloys, was first made by bronze casters of Tirunelveli. Around 400 years ago, a priest from the Aranmula temple in Kerala brought them from Tamil Nadu.

We also learn, through the book, that Puneri Pagdi of Pune was first worn by Justice M G Ranade in the 18th century. Since then, it has been worn by leaders such as Lokmanya Tilak and D D Sathye.

The manufacturing of some products takes into account scientific principles. Thanajvur dolls are made on the concept of gravitational force. Perhaps, the process of making these dolls began long before Sir Issac Newton propounded the theory of gravitation.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Manish Raj, TNN / May 04th, 2015

The Indo-Danish connect

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
The Danish Fort, also called ‘Dansborg Fort’ at Tranquebar, built in 1620 AD. / Photo: T. Singaravelou / The Hindu
The Danish Fort, also called ‘Dansborg Fort’ at Tranquebar, built in 1620 AD. / Photo: T. Singaravelou / The Hindu

The National Archives of Denmark records that a fisherman from Karaikal was responsible for the modern history of Tranquebar.

On a glorious day in April 1620 AD., a Danish jaght (a three-masted, lightly armed merchant vessel of the 17 century), Øresund, was freebooting around Karaikal on the south-east coast of India, when a fleet of six galleys sent by Andre Botelho da Costa, the Portuguese governor of Jaffna, attacked it. Its captain, Roeland Crappe, and twelve of his crew escaped thanks to the aid of a fisherman.

A list of salaries found in the Danish National Archives reveals a stunning secret: “Cuti’s mother, a woman whose husband (was he also Cuti’s father?), saved the life of General Crappe when he lost his ship, Øresund, outside Carical” was paid one pardou every month for 25 years in gratitude for saving Crappe’s life. The jaght was totally wrecked, and the rest of the crew captured and murdered by the Portuguese. Two of the heads were displayed on stakes to warn the enemies. Earlier the jaght had captured several small Portuguese junks laden with rice and areca nuts on the east coast and auctioning goods with the permission of the king of Kandy.

Roeland Crappe managed to reach the court of Raghunatha Nayak at Tanjore, whom he had known earlier. Crappe must have expressed the wishes of his employer, Christian IV of Denmark, to set up trade relations in south-east Asia to Raghunatha Nayak. A letter by Raghunatha Nayak on a gold-foil asserts: “We order the creation of a port named Tharangampadi here and allow the export of pepper to that country (Denmark) as it is rare there.” A fisherman from Karaikal was thus responsible for the modern history of Tranquebar! Raghunatha Nayak signed the official treaty in Portuguese on November 19, 1620. Ove Gedde, a barely 23-year-old Admiral appointed by Christian IV, as the leader of a Danish fleet concluded the formal treaty on behalf of the Danes.

The National Archives in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a treasure house of records, dealing with the history of Tanjore and Tranquebar of 17 to 19 centuries. The Royal Library and the National Museum in Copenhagen house more than 350 palm-leaf collections from India from old almanacs to the diaries of local catechists to Arunachala Kavirayar’s Rama Natakam. As is often said, history is usually written by the conquerors and thus becomes one-sided. When available, history needs to be studied from both sides — and here the records in Denmark come as a great help.

Most historians assume that Raghunatha Nayak ruled between 1600 and 1634. Vriddhagirisan, an authority on the Nayaks of Tanjore, writes: “Considering the duration of all the individual reigns of the Tanjore Nayaks, it becomes evident that Raghunatha, the most illustrious ruler of this family had but a relatively short reign and his death will have to be placed about AD 1634.” On the question of who succeeded Raghunatha Nayak, Indian historians disagree. On the successor to the throne, Vriddhagirisan assumes that it was Vijayaraghava Nayak. He writes: “Vijayaraghava’s accession must have taken place in the year 1633 and that it was celebrated sometime before the death of Raghunatha.” There are many claims and counter-claims. Vriddhagirisan mentions two sons of Raghunatha, namely Achyuta and Ramabhadra, and Vijayaraghava would appear to the eldest son according to the genealogy given in the Raghunathabhudayam of Vijayaraghava Nayak. At the same time, Vriddhagirisan also cites a Jesuit letter: “Two brothers of the (Vijayaraghava) Nayaka, whom he had shut up in prison, after pulling out their eyes to remove all possibility of succeeding him… Ramabhadra could not have been on the direct line of succession… it is not quite known for certain, that Achyuta Vijayaraghava was also called Achyuta Ramabhadra.”

Tranquebar (Tharangampadi) celebrated its 395th year of its Danish connections in April this year.
Tranquebar (Tharangampadi) celebrated its 395th year of its Danish connections in April this year.

The Danish records are certain. Ove Gedde left three diaries after his strenuous voyage. He noted down everything. These diaries were then transcribed by Johann Heinrich Schlegel and are available as Google books. On November 4, 1620, Gedde notes, “I paid a visit to the eldest son of the Nayak and the throne follower, who requested me to visit him often.” On November 7: “the same day, the Nayak requested me to visit his middle son, who had complained that I had not paid him a visit.” It is obvious that Raghunatha Nayak had at least three sons. Citing a letter from Roeland Crappe written on September 17, 1628 from Masulipatnam (the original letter is in the Archives), Schlegel writes: “Ragnato Naiche died early on 25 November 1626 and cremated the same day with 119 of his wives. His eldest son Rambadra succeeded him to the throne, and came with 100 men to the fortification of Dansburg (in Tranquebar) (Johann Heinrich Schlegel, Samlung zur Dänischen Geschichte, Münzkenntniss, Oekonomie und Sprache, Erster band, Viertes Stück, pp. 162-163).”

Hidden in the National Archives in Copenhagen for almost 400 years, there is an innocuous letter from Christian IV written from his castle at Frederiksborg on April 11, 1631. The letter affirms the affection of the King to the Nayak of Tanjore, and expresses his wish for a continuation of the relationship between the two countries. The letter itself is not significant — the Addressee is: “The mighty, royal Prince Ramabadro Naico, King of Tanjore, our specially good friend!” Evidently, after the death of Raghunatha Nayak in 1626, Ramabhadra Nayak succeeded his father until he was gruesomely relieved of his post by his younger brother, Achutha Vijaya Raghava Nayak in 1634 AD.

P.S. Ramanujam is Professor Emeritus in the Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark. psramanujam@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Magazine / by P.S. Ramanujam / May 02nd, 2015

Rare photographs of Jayakanthan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
An old photograph of singer Sirkazhi Govindarajan, film director C.V. Rajendran, poet Kannadasan, writer Jayakanthan and music composer M.S. Viswanathan exhibited at the Russian Cultural Centre. Photo: M. Vedhan / The Hindu
An old photograph of singer Sirkazhi Govindarajan, film director C.V. Rajendran, poet Kannadasan, writer Jayakanthan and music composer M.S. Viswanathan exhibited at the Russian Cultural Centre. Photo: M. Vedhan / The Hindu

Photographs of Jayakanthan preserved by the last librarian of Russian Cultural Centre on display.

A writer who transcended all literary genres; a fiery orator who spoke his mind; a film-maker who experimented with cinema, and a politician — a photo exhibition at the Russian Cultural Centre here offers glimpses into the life of Jayakanthan.

Seated with him in a photograph are poet and lyricist Kannadasan, music director M.S. Viswanathan, playback singer Sirkazhi Govindarajan and film director C.V. Rajendran. But, even those who moved closely with Jayakanthan for decades were not able to identify the occasion on which it was taken.

“Kannadasan wrote the title song for the film Yarukkaka Azhuthan and M.S. Viswanathan scored the music for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manitharkal and Oru Nadigai Nadagam Paarkiral. Kannadasan and Jayakanthan, who worked together in the Congress, planned to make a movie, Nyayam Ketkirom. However, it did not materialise,” said P.S. Kuppusamy, a friend of Jayakanthan since 1965 and who travelled with him the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu.

The exhibition got its collection from the library run by the Russian Cultural Centre.

When it was closed down in 1991 after the disintegration of Soviet Union, P. Thangappan, the last librarian, preserved the photographs.

“Though many pictures can be dated back to the 1960s, one of the important events was the release of his political memoirs, Oru Ilakkiyavathiyin Arasiyal Anubhavangal. It was attended by Kamaraj. We have used 54 pictures among the many in our possession for the exhibition,” said Mr. Thangappan, general secretary of the Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society.

Even though he became a vociferous Congress supporter, Jayakanthan shared a dais with Communist leader and his mentor K. Baladhandayutham and a young D. Pandian, indicating his political roots.

He never missed an opportunity to take a snipe at the Dravidian movement and even bluntly told Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran that if he was keen on meeting him he could do so at his residence.

However, he changed with times —from Jayakanthan with an “I-don’t-care attitude and look to a soft spoken man —and became very close to DMK leader M. Karunanidhi.

It was Jayakanthan who first brought Mr. Karunanidhi to the Russian Cultural Centre to inaugurate the office of Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> TamilNadu / by B. Kolappan / Chennai – May 02nd, 2015

A get-together after 36 years

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Alumni of Government High School, Chithode, receive blessings from teachers of their days on Sunday.— PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN
Alumni of Government High School, Chithode, receive blessings from teachers of their days on Sunday.— PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

Incidences of teachers appreciating kind gestures of students may not be unusual. But, the situation was refreshingly different on Sunday when 80-year-old retired teachers were overwhelmed by the affection showered on them by their students of the Government High School, Chithode, who had organised a get-together after 36 years.

For, the ‘students’ had driven home the point that respect for teachers would remain all through life. According to the octogenarian speakers, the get-together would well serve as a pointer to the current generation of students on holding teachers in high esteem forever.

It was a family get-together most of the students of the 1977-78 batch kept date with high anticipation. Seventy seven of the 88 students of the SSLC batch turned up. Of them, Nalini, who is settled in the USA, flew down with her husband Shanmugam, a textile consultant. The meeting also had the presence of Deputy Mayor K.C. Palanichamy whose wife Nirmala was a batch mate.

There are certain niceties in life that would linger in the mind forever, and the get-together is one such, according to A. Velliangiri, a LAWYER in Erode district, who, along with his Karur-based batch mate Maheshwaran was instrumental in the success of the get-together.

They gathered the phone numbers of all their batch mates and even undertook personal visits to make the get-together happen. About half of the batch mates had grandchildren, but had no qualms reliving their student days in jovial mood for the few hours they were together. Five of their teachers had died due to old age. Nine of the eleven teachers turned up to bless their students collectively by showering flower petals.

To set an example worthy of emulation, the old batch of students has decided to make the get-together an annual affair.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by R. KrishnaMoorthy / Erode – May 04th, 2015

Chennai-born US Judge Lives the American Dream

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
Raja Rajeswari
Raja Rajeswari

Chennai :

She has lived the immigrant dream — a journey from a one-room house in Alwarpet and a childhood learning classical dance to becoming a criminal court judge in New York City. The first Indian-origin woman at that.

Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari now hopes to ensure that the multi-ethnic population, the foundation of New York City, is treated fairly, while she also balances her other passion in life — dance.

Having migrated to the US aged 16, Rajeswari, now 43, worked at the Richmond County DA’s Office her entire career before being sworn in as a judge by NYC mayor Bill de Blasio on April 27. Her childhood experiences growing up in Chennai, her career as a prosecutor, her early observations of gender inequality, influences from her mother who was a dancer — Rajeswari believes all these paved the way for her successful career.

“I had a wonderful childhood. We were a low income household, and I was an only child. We did not have a lot of money but our lives were filled with dance and music,” she says, speaking to Express in an e-mail interview. Reminiscing about her mother who was a dance instructor, and her father who was an office clerk, she calls him a ‘gentle soul who resembled Mahatma Gandhi in looks and philosophy’.

Having lost her mother in an accident when she was 18, and her father to cancer in 2013, it was Rajeswari’s promise to her dad during their last conversation that prompted her to become a judge. “My mother bequeathed me her love of dance and the belief that the world can become a better place if there is even one person who cared enough,” she says.

And dance it was, that first brought her to New York.

Rajeswari had started dancing at fundraising events as a toddler, teaching dance at the age of 10, and receiving a government research scholarship at the age of 14. After doing her advanced studies in Kalakshetra for Bharatanatyam and also learning Kuchipudi, she travelled with her mother Padma Ramanathan dance troupe to several countries. In 1988, it was on the last leg of a dance tour she came to the city where she would live her life.

“At 16, I had traversed the planet and realised how the treatment of women made an impact on me. I decided to stay in New York and pursue my education in a country where women got equal opportunities,” she says.

Living The American Dream & How

Her cultural background and multilingualism, is what she believes, greatly helped her career as she dealt with various ethnic backgrounds in domestic violence and sexual abuse cases.

“My personal experience of growing up in a third world country provided me with insight into understanding the social stigma of accusing one’s husband or boyfriend in certain cultures,” she says.

Through her appointment, she hopes to follow in the footsteps of those who brought ethnic diversity to the bench, besides standing by her firm belief that the rights of the defendant are sacrosanct and can never be trespassed.

“I cringe every time I read about another defendant who has been exonerated after spending decades in prison for a crime he did not commit,” she says.

The speed and equal access to justice administered in the US, she says, is something to take note of; though not perfect, it is still much more efficient than the legal system in India.

Speaking about cases like the Delhi gang-rape, she says that unless we deal with ingrained social prejudices and discrimination against women, we will never be able to achieve our potential.

“Unless there is a gruesome death, no one pays attention to the victimisation of women. The woman or children rarely report these crimes because they know they are never going to be taken seriously and would be blamed and shunned by the society.”

Being an immigrant in a bustling city like New York, Rajeswari has worked her way up through several trials and is a firm believer in the American criminal justice system, which she considers the best in the world since it affords every person, regardless of sex, race, colour, sexual orientation and social standing, an opportunity to seek justice.

“As an immigrant you have incredible opportunities in this country but you have to be able and willing to work really hard and constantly prove yourself,” she says.

If a female immigrant from a city in South India can make history by becoming the first South Asian female judge in New York City, Rajeswari believes, there is hope for every female who aspires to higher office in India and abroad.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Archita Suranarayanan / ENS / May 02nd, 2015

A cooperative wholesale store has come a long way

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
MAKING RAPID STRIDES: A view of Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores in Thanjavur.— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam
MAKING RAPID STRIDES: A view of Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores in Thanjavur.— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores celebrating platinum jubilee

The Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores (TCCWS), a cooperative institution that has impacted the daily life of all sections of society here for the past 75 years, is celebrating its platinum jubilee anniversary by firming up a five-year plan to shore up its finances.

Registered on April 20, 1940, it commenced its commercial operations on May, 1940 with 16 members with a share capital of Rs. 390. Now, it has 2,634 members with a share capital of Rs. 41.14 lakh.

Under its control, there are 70 fair price shops in urban areas of the city through which the premier cooperative institution is channelising 1,137 tonnes of rice, 144 tonnes of sugar, 39 tonnes of wheat, 54 tonnes of toor dhal and 57,000 litres of palm oil every month to the attached 72,636 family cards.

Besides, there are six kerosene bunks in the city limits in its fold through which 29,444 family card holders were getting 75,870 litre of kerosene a month.

Serving as the lead society, the TCCWS has been facilitating supply of essential commodities to 2,00,315 family card holders attached to 467 fair price shops functioning under the aegis of 126 primary agricultural cooperative credit societies in Thanjavur, Orathanad, Pattukkottai, Peravurani and Tiruvaiyaru taluks, the TCCWS Managing Director M. Mohamed Rafi told The Hindu here.

The self-service section functioning in the main TCCWS complex has been doing a brisk sale of Rs. 15 lakh a month while the cooperative medical shop within the complex is extending 12 per cent discount for medicines and five per cent rebate for food items besides providing free door delivery facility to buyers on demand. Medicines and food items sale touches Rs. 5 lakh a month. The stationery section was recently refurbished to lure more customers and is doing a sales turnover of Rs. 2 lakh a month, Mr. Rafi said.

There are 119 employees against the sanctioned cadre strength of 133 and a democratically elected Board of Directors in administering the TCCWS.

One future plans, he says six new fair price shops were ready for opening in urban limits of the city while it was planning to carve out four new full-time fair price shops to serve specific area customers better.

Though the TCCWS has run up a cumulative loss of Rs. 6.24 crore up to the audited period of 2011-12, it has drafted an ambitious five-year plan to wipe off the deficit and turn the corner. Already, during 2012-13, the TCCWS earned a profit of 8.15 lakh due to efficient functioning and Mr. Rafi hoped to build on that performance in the years to come.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by L. Renganathan / Thanjavur – May 02nd, 2015

Renovated Gass Forest Museum opened

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All
The renovated Gass Forest Museum on the campus of Tamil Nadu Forest Academy which was opened on Friday.— Photo: M. Periasamy
The renovated Gass Forest Museum on the campus of Tamil Nadu Forest Academy which was opened on Friday.— Photo: M. Periasamy

Gass Forest Museum on the premises of the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy which had been closed for renovation work, was thrown open to the public on Saturday. Boasting of over 4,000 exhibits, the century-old museum was founded by H.A. Gass, a British Forest Officer, in 1903.

Initially housed in the residence of Gass, it moved to its present location in 1915. This is a one-of-a-kind institution that has an exquisite collections, says IFGTB Director (in-charge) R.S. Prashanth.

On entering the museum, one is greeted by a life-sized model of an intimidating Indian Gaur, which was presented by Sir Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, the last Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore.

The museum houses a rich collection that ranges from birds such as kingfishers, cormorant, egret, hawks and eagles, to more than 600 timber species including a 456-year-old cross section of a teak tree weighing 1.75 tonnes. A timber library is also displayed in the museum. Further, an entire range of useful non-timber forest products such as gums and resins, oils, tars, rubber and lacks are also on display.

A rich collection of fruits and seeds, barks, roots, leaves, fibres, bamboo and canes are also found. Forest engineering models such as timber stacking and seasoning, forest brides and timber houses are kept here besides a working model of ropeways used for timber extraction.

For those into entomology, a collection of useful and harmful insects associated with forests are kept on display alongside species of butterflies and moths.

More than 300 samples of rock, minerals and soil formation from all over the world are housed here. Notable among them are different kinds of mica found in nature. Articles manufactured from forest products including bobbins, shuttles, picker arms and diapers besides carved items are also on display.

The museum will remain open between 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on all days except Sundays and holidays. Further information could be obtained by contacting the museum, telephone no: (0422) 245 0307.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – May 02nd, 2015

Coimbatore company ties up with Japanese firm to make mattresses

Business & Economy, World Opinion

The Coimbatore-based Slivertex Engineers has tied up with Teijin, a Japanese company, to manufacture products made of Teijin polyester fibre.

P. Muthiah, managing director of Slivertex, told presspersons here on Friday that the company had invested Rs. 15 crore at its plants in Coimbatore and Madurai and planned to invest Rs. 10 crore each in Pune and New Delhi to set up new facilities this year.

Agreement

It entered into an agreement with Teijin a year ago for raw material and technology. The raw material (high performance polyester fibre) was sourced from Japan and polyester cushion materials were made in Madurai. These were then made into mattresses here.

The Pune plant would be to make acoustic material with the same raw material and the New Delhi plant to make products for the automobile sector.

The company produced about 200 mattresses a day now and this would be scaled up to 400 in three months. The mattresses were sold under the brand Fibbo.

In the case of acoustic and automobile products, the company was a tier-two supplier to larger companies.

Kenichiro Yabuki, managing director of Teijin India, added that the 98-year-old company was present in India since 2007 in automobile applications, protective apparels, photo voltaic modules for the solar energy sector and electrical and electronic product segment.

It supplied the products to the Indian market from its manufacturing facilities in other countries.

It needed to see increase in volume of sale to invest here.

While the Teijin fibre was supplied to India (Slivertex) to make products for the domestic market, these could also be used to supply to countries in West Asia and Africa, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – May 02nd, 2015