The homecoming of the ancient bronze icons of royal couple Raja Raja Chola I and his regal consort Lokamadevi is an incredible development and marks a watershed development in the sustained efforts to retrieve the priceless stolen treasure, according to art enthusiasts of Thanjavur. They say it is important to sustain the momentum and bring back as many stolen artefacts and idols and as early as possible.
“The return of the priceless icons of Raja Raja Chola I and Lokamadevi to Tamil Nadu is akin to consecrating the Sri Brihadeswarar temple afresh. I feel as if the emperor himself is returning home,” an elated Kudavayil Balasubramanian, Chola historian and epigraphist, told The Hindu on Wednesday.
The two bronze artefacts assume enormous socio-cultural and historical significance, as they are the only icons of the royal couple cast and stamped with the regal authority during the emperor’s own lifetime, said Dr. Balasubramanian, whose magnum opus Rajarajecharam is rich in scholarly research inputs.
Art enthusiasts and Chola historians are happy with the development and hope that the momentum that has gathered steam now would be sustained to retrieve more Thanjavur treasures that were lost. Dr. Balasubramanian’s role in identifying, recording and bringing back the two icons, spread over almost two decades, is acknowledged as ‘enormous.’
Ex-Minister’s petition
Tracing the background, sources at the Idol Wing said a petition by former Minister V.V. Swaminathan prompted the Madras High Court to direct the Idol Wing to look into the case of missing ancient bronze idols, especially that of Raja Raja Chola I and Lokamadevi, from the icon safe at the Thanjavur Big Temple.
After a through field study aided by inputs from experts in Chola history and iconography, it was found that the ancient bronze icons, donated to the Big Temple during the 29th regnal year of Emperor Raja Raja I, had “somehow been stolen” and finally found their way to the Calico Museum of Textiles and the Sarabhai Foundation Galleries, Ahmedabad.
The two were part of the 13 bronze statues donated then and there is no word yet on the status of the other 11 idols. However, a complaint filed with the police on March 2 here also states that several other ancient valuable icons dating to the period of Raja Raja Chola I have been stolen from the Big Temple vault.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by L Renganathan / Thanjavur – May 31st, 2018
If anyone wants to be a successful farmer, he/she has to run a farm that would yield a daily, weekly, monthly, half-yearly and yearly profit. So, instead of growing crops based on what is fetching good revenue in the market at a particular time, a farmer should learn to plan for a sustained harvest”, says P Saravanan, 43, a progressive farmer from Paluvanchi village in Marungapuri taluk in Trichy district.
Until a few years ago, he had been cultivating paddy and sugarcane alone, which are common in the region. However, there was nothing that made him excited neither in terms of yield nor in terms of revenue. This had made him switch over to vegetables, that too not the hybrid but the native crops, he says.”I switched to crops like brinjal, ladies finger, chillies, which have started to provide a good yield. Despite poor monsoon, I could get very good yield from vegetable cultivation when compared to paddy and sugarcane. Paddy and sugarcane require more quantum of water to cultivate. However, it is not the case of vegetables”, he opined.Though Saravanan is always eying on making a profit, he never compromised cultivating native vegetables. While other farmers are going for hybrid varieties aiming for good yield, he has been cultivating only country seeds.
“I have been cultivating brinjal, ladies finger, chillies and groundnut crops using country seeds, not a hybrid. Though I am only getting half of the yield when compared to a hybrid, I am able to earn revenue equal to what usually a hybrid variety would yield”, Saravanan stated.
If a farmer cultivates hybrid brinjal, say for an example, he could get a yield of 100 kg from an acre. While a country seed can able to get only 50 percent of the yield. However, Saravanan said that he could sell his produce for Rs 20 per kg when a hybrid produce could only fetch Rs 10 per kg, he added.
“Moreover, the cost of fertilizer, pesticides, maintenance cost will eventually come down to country seeds. However, it is not the case for a hybrid. It requires more fertilizer, pesticide and maintenance cost”, says Saravanan.
Saravanan is using cow dung, green manure and goat manure along with micronutrients like Azospirillum, Pseudomonas, and Phosphobacteria instead of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. So, his large number of the customer base is purely because of the quality and taste of the produce, he said.
“I use the required scientific technologies such as seed nutrient management and water conservation methods in my field. I have established sprinklers to save water. Due to some practical problems, I am not using drip irrigation”, he added.
He said that whether it was a cash crop or food crop, a farmer’s ultimatum was profit. Apart from the yield, a farmer should be able to successfully market his produce.
He should not rely on wholesalers or agents. Only then can he/she could get a better price for his produce. So, the government should create more avenues to facilitate each and every farmer to sell their produce on their own, he further said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Trichy News / by D. Vincent Arockiaraj / TNN / May 03rd, 2018
In bliss: Cattle heads enjoy a shower bath under a hot sun at the integrated farm in Pudu Tamaraipatti in Madurai. | Photo Credit: R_ASHOK
‘Unscientific’ innovations at a farm in Pudu Tamaraipatti have impressed veterinarians
The clock shows 5 a.m. Scores of cows come out of their sheds and line up in front of a gate. It is breakfast time. They slowly troop into the fodder area, eat like disciplined children and return. They do not jostle, jump the queue or rough up. And they do not have nose ropes. This is the result of a desi Pavlov-Skinner experiment on animals at a farm in Pudu Tamaraipatti on the Tiruvadavur Road. Earlier, a bell used to ring at 5 a.m. to announce that food is ready.
For What They Say: C. Deivendran of Madurai, who has come up with innovative solutions for common problems of farmers, in his integrated farm at Pudu Tamaraipatti. | Photo Credit: R. Ashok
“We used to ring the bell twice a day to indicate that food is ready. Now the cows come on their own,” says K. Deivendran, who has developed this integrated farm.
The 50-acre farm, which came into existence in 2009, is a story of Deivendran’s experiments with farming. Son of a farmer from Vellayathevanpatti in Theni district, Mr. Deivendran learnt all about agriculture from his parents, brother, friends and those who came to sell their produce at his vegetable commission mandi in Andipatti. “I do not have any scientific knowledge of agriculture. I have developed this farm purely on trial-and-error, applying native wisdom,” says Mr. Deivendran. His “unscientific’ innovations have impressed veterinarians so much that they have come to recommend them for others.
He has saved time and money by dispensing with the nose rope. “Cattle breeding becomes costly if the animals are handled by humans. Here, they enjoy an unfettered life. The nose rope is used only for bulls that are difficult to handle. Our workers touch the cows only for milking,” he says. The cattle enjoy a luxurious bath twice a day, by standing in a row. Even pregnant cows are let out for bathing, which ensures hassle-free delivery. The animals swim through a 15-foot-deep canal and stop for a while to enjoy the shower at one end. The shower removes dirt from the face and head of the animal. Native practice of milking is adopted not to leave any residue that would cause discomfort and disease for the cow in the udder. Even the fodder is not wasted. Green fodder is shredded and placed in special containers that prevent spilling and wastage. Fresh coconut pulp is added to dry fodder, which gives the animals a sheen.
The scene is not different in the poultry and sheep farms. As a value added food, sheep eat popcorn made by roasting maize in hot sand. Chicks drink milk from plates. The birds are not cooped and they rest in the trees at night. “When cattle and birds have a free life, maintenance cost is low,” he says.
Mr. Deivendran has effectively addressed the water issue, which plagues farming. Out of the 10,000 saplings he planted in 2009, 8,000 trees now stand tall. The farm has adopted high density farming. This has brought down evaporation level.
He uses drip system for irrigation by drawing water from nine rainwater harvesting ponds. “Not a drop of water is wasted here. Even waste water is filtered and recycled,” says Mr. Deivendran.
The farm provides free drinking water all round the year through a tap installed outside to residents of Pudu Tamaraipatti, says P. Manikandan, president, MaduraiDistrict (Wet and Dry) Farmers’ Association.
For What They Say: P. Manikandan, president, Madurai District Dry and Wet Land Farmers’ Association. | Photo Credit: R. Ashok
Entry of chemicals is forbidden in this farm, where 25 species of trees are grown, and technology is passe. Only used materials such as casuarina poles, tin sheets and waste plastic are used all over. Free food is offered to all workers three times a day.
According to Mr. Deivendran, farmers should scrupulously maintain profit-and-loss account, as a first step, to make farming a profitable venture.
Pamayan, an organic farmer, during an interview for The Hindu Metroplus, in Madurai. | Photo Credit: R. Ashok
Pamayan, an expert in organic farming, is hopeful that this model can be adopted by any ordinary farmer or as a cooperative venture.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by S. Annamalai / Madurai – April 30th, 2018
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy fought for women against many wrong things, including the devadasi system
World Dance Day brings the focus back on “The dancing girl of Mohenjo daro.” This 10.8 cm long bronze statue (see below)was found in 1926 from a broken down house on the ‘ninth lane’ in Mohenjo-daro. The ‘pert liveliness’ of the minute figure opened up a debate on the antiquity of arts in India. In a language of creative expression, archaeologists reshaped and extended the assumption about her being the dancing girl. She is in a Tribhangi they said and “beats time to the music with her legs and feet…”
dancing girl of Mohenjo daro
But she is actually standing straight. Only one arm is adorned with bangles and she is holding something in her left hand. Naman Ahuja, the historian, says, “Look at the way she is standing. Look at her confidence. One arm on hip. Head thrown back. The way her hand is sculpted, there might have been a spear in her hand. Is she a warrior figure? Could she be a soldier rather than a dancing girl?”
Focus on the dancing girl
A recent discussion has brought focus on the dancing girl of Mohenjo daro and at the centre is the Devadasi, a system prevalent in the 1920s and abolished. This brings us to another dancing girl — Edgar Degas’s ground-breaking statuette of a young ballerina that caused a sensation at the 1881 impressionist exhibition. Degas was a keen observer and wry but sympathetic chronicler of the daily life of dancers, depicting their world off-stage, at rehearsal or in the wings. Degas’s Little Dancer showcases this world of gaslight and struggle. “It is the image of a sickly gawky adolescent, who is being made to do something she doesn’t totally want to do,” said the critic, Tim Marlow.
This thought brings us to Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, who fought against the dedication of young girls as Devadasis and Rukmini Devi Arundale, who crusaded against exclusivity.
Muthulakshmi, daughter of a Devadasi Chandrammal married to Narayanaswamy, the principal of Maharaja’s College in Pudukkottai, became the first girl student of the college. Also, she was the first Indian girl student in the Department of Surgery at the Madras Medical College. When she was admitted to Maharaja’s High School, parents of boys threatened to withdraw their children from the school. Her father had been ostracised by his family for marrying a Devadasi and Muthulakshmi became closer to her maternal relatives and saw the situation first hand. After she became a doctor, among the first things Muthulakshmi began to fight against was the system of wet nursing, where women of the upper class got Dalit women to breast feed their babies. She fought to raise the age of marriage for girls, women’s right to property and for choice in the matter of education and career.
It was in 1893 that the Madras Hindu Reform Association sent appeals to put an end to the practice of dances performed at private and public functions in which the British officials also participated. In 1900, M. Ramachandran, secretary of Arya Mission, Kanchipuram, openly protested against the Devadasi system by publishing articles and distributing pamphlets. In 1913, a bill to prevent dedication of girls under 16 years of age was introduced but the bill just dropped out.
In 1927, V.R. Pantulu made a resolution in the Council of State to prohibit dedication of girls. In the same year, Muthulakshmi Reddy was nominated to the Madras Presidency Council and was chosen as the first woman deputy president. She organised several seminars and meetings all over the Madras presidency and interviewed several hundred Devadasis. The Isai Vellalar Sangam in Thanjavur and Mayavaram met in support of the bill. Cochin Devadasis took out a procession in support of the bill. But the George Town Devadasis lead by Duraikannu Ammal and Bengaluru Nagarathnamma opposed the bill.
The bill was dormant after Muthulakshmi Reddy resigned from the Council in 1930 protesting Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest after the Salt March. Then the World War intervened. It was only in December 1947 that the Madras Devadasi (Prevention of Dedication) bill was passed in the Madras Legislative Assembly.
While all the debate was going on, two young girls approached Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy and asked her what alternative she had for them. They were running away from being dedicated as Devadasis. She took them into her house, tried putting them in hostels and schools but no one would take them. She decided to start Avvai Home hostel and school and offered them anonymity and choice in the matter.
Coincidentally, in 1936, when Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy started Avvai Home, in the Theosophical Society, yet another disciple of Annie Besant, Rukmini Devi Arundale, began to learn a dance she had a chance to encounter and opened it up for all of us to savour.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Dance / by V.R. Devika / April 26th, 2018
Schoolchildren greet bikers from Finland embarking on a tour, at Sriperumbudur Panchayat Union Primary School, Mettupalayam, on Thursday. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
65-day charity tour for girls’ education flagged off
The charity tour for girls’ education in rural India, on motorcycles from Chennai to Finland, commenced from the Sriperumpudur Panchayat Union Primary School, Mettupalayam near Oragadam on Thursday.
The 15,000-km tour aimed at mobilising funds for girls’ education in rural India will pass through 17 countries before reaching Finland, the home of 17 bikers who have embarked on this venture.
The 17-member team will pass through Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh to enter Nepal.
To cross many countries
From there they would pass through China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia and Estonia to reach Finland.
The 65-day tour, organised jointly by the PeterPan Bike, Finland and SFA Motorcycle Rental, Chennai, was flagged off by Tourism Minister Vellamandi Natarajan and Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabaskar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Kancheepuram – April 20th, 2018
Weightlifting – Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – Men’s 77kg Final – April 7, 2018. Sathish Kumar Sivalingam of India competes. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Satish Kumar in 77kg and Venkat Rahul in 85kg give India a double delight
Two young men — Satish Kumar Sivalingam and R. Venkat Rahul — gave India a double, winning the men’s 77kg and 85kg weightlifting titles at the XXI Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Sports Arena 1 here on Saturday.
The two medals took the country’s gold count to four and a total of six, with the silver and bronze won P. Gururaj (56kg) and Deepak Lather (69kg) besides the gold that Mirabai Chanu and Sanjita Chanu won over the last two days.
High expectations
Labelled a heavyweight in the sport, the expectations were high as the third day’s events began. Satish and Venkat shaped up nicely to finish on the top of the podium. The only disappointment was Vandna Gupta (women’s 63kg), who finished fifth.
In the men’s 77kg category, Satish faced a few problems before stamping his class. The 25-year-old from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, had suffered an injury a couple of months ago and with doubts persisting about a possible recurrence, his preparations were low key.
However, into the competition, Satish got into the lead with a lift of 144 in snatch, improving through lifts of 136 and 140, before clinching the gold with 173 in clean and jerk for a total of 317. He was 5kg clear of Jack Oliver (England) who finished second, while Francois Etounde (Australia) took the bronze.
It was understandable that Satish was unable to improve on his gold-winning performance (total of 328) at Glasgow 2014, even as he dedicated the medal to this parents. “They are the greatest source of motivation I have to pursue this sport seriously,” he said.
Venkat, 21, was tied with Don Opeloge of Samoa at 151kg after the first stage (snatch) of the competition, but as Opeloge faltered in clean and jerk, it made things easier for the lifter from Stuartpuram, Andhra Pradesh.
Venkat, who started with 147 in snatch, could only manage an improvement of four kilograms as he failed in his second attempt.
In clean and jerk, he started off with 182kg and getting this right helped him take the lead. Another good lift of 187kg put pressure on his Samoa rival, who wilted.
Prodapt, a software and engineering services provider, has set up a community refrigerator at Prince Infocity II on Rajiv Gandhi Salai in Kandanchavadi. The company has an office at this IT facility.
Employees of Prodapt and other companies at Infocity II can stock the refrigerator with food, fruits, sweets and savouries.
The refrigerator will be kept open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m, all through the week.
This initiative of Prodapt is supported by Ayyamittu Unn, launched by The Public Foundation last year.
Mary Vikram, who is part of the human resources department at Prodapt, says, “We will ensure there is no lack of food in the refrigerator, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. If necessary, Prodapt will buy food from nearby restaurants and food courts and keep the refrigerator well-stocked. Though the refrigerator is located on the premises of Prince Infocity II, a separate entrance has been created to enable access to it. This way, the movement of employees will not be hampered.
Prodapt has employed a security guard to manage the beneficiaries queuing up in front of the refrigerator. He also has to ensure that nobody takes more than their fair share of food. As there is always the possibility that some beneficiaries will sell the food.”
Uncooked grains, pulses and vegetables and raw meat, fish and eggs are a strict no-no. Vegetables that make up a salad are an exception though. Any food found bitten will not be accepted. Donors will not be allowed to keep the food in vessels. They have to pack the food before placing it in the refrigerator. The packed food should have a label providing information such as name of the cuisine, the time it was cooked and the probably time it can go stale.
A logbook containing the names of donors, their contact numbers, the food items they have donated, the time these items was cooked, and how long they will last, will be maintained.
Similarly, a record of the names and contact details of the beneficiaries and what they took will also be maintained.
Issa Fathima Jasmine, founder of The Public Foundation, says “As construction work is high on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, there are many daily wage labourers, including migrant workers, in the region. They will benefit from this initiative. And the IT professionals can be donors.”
The customised refrigerator has also been provided with slots with normal temperature where people can leave clothes, books and stationeries.
For details, call 94451 97723 / 94451 97728.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by L. Kanthimathi / March 30th, 2018
Kavitha Jenarthanan talks about why she created a Wall of Kindness in the city
“My parents have never turned away anyone who asks for help. They are very kind people and I got that quality from them,” says Kavitha Jenarthanan, founder of Kavitha’s Ini Oru Vidhi Seivom, a trust in Tirupur.
The outside view | Photo Credit: The Hindu
She has set up three Anbu Suvar (Wall of Kindness) in the state, one being in Coimbatore.
This is not a new concept, says Jenarthanan. “It is very popular abroad. I read about it on social media. I loved the idea and wanted to do it too. The first was set up at Komarapalayam in Erode; then in Tirupur and the latest in Coimbatore (September 2017).
The wall belongs to the Corporation and is situated near Devanga Higher Secondary School, RS Puram.”
This 300 sq ft wall took a week to be made. “After I received permission from the Corporation Commissioner, K Vijayakarthikeyan, I designed the wall with two plywood cupboards. These are open and accessible to anyone at any time. The walls are painted with instructions on what to and what not to keep and with verses from the Thirukkural.”
The public can leave old reusable clothes, books, toys, slippers, bags or any other items in the cupboards to be picked up by people in need.
Jenarthanan also has volunteers who tidy the shelves. “Corporation workers also arrange the shelves everyday. The wall is for the people in our city and so it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain it.”
She admits that there are challenges. “People sometimes leave dirty and unusable clothes. Please don’t. The whole idea is to provide decent items to those in need. Those who pull out the clothes do not rearrange them properly. I wish there would be a change in this attitude.”
Jenarthanan is happy that with the positive response. “The racks will always have something to offer and that is a good sign.”
Jenarthanan plans to have more such walls in and around the city.
She also recently organised a Womanathon in Tirupur. “It was to create awareness on women’s safety and education. With the proceeds, 11 children from underprivilaged background were given ₹ 5000 each for their education and healthcare.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Susan Joe Philip / March 24th, 2018
Retired principal translates 101 compositions of the saint-poet
The Telugu compositions of Sri Thyagaraja have reached God’s Own Country and are available to music connoisseurs in “His own language”.
This was made possible by the efforts of Latha Varma, retired Principal of Madurai-based Sri Sadguru Sangeetha Vidyalayam College of Music and Research Centre. Quite surprisingly, Tamil acted as the bridge in translating the Telugu compositions into Malayalam.
Ms. Varma, who belongs to the royal family of Ernakulam, joined the famed college in Madurai when she was 24 and retired a couple of years ago. As Malayalam is her mother tongue and she gained proficiency in Tamil with her prolonged stay in Madurai, she decided to go the extra mile to learn Telugu literature too. And she did master it with élan through a certificate and diploma course from Madurai Kamaraj University.
Though Thyagaraja kritis are sung world over by people of all languages, many are do not know Telugu and as such miss out on its literary beauty. The mellifluous note and rhythm come in for appreciation, but the ‘Bhava’ (substance) more often than not gets lost. It is this void that the musicologist wanted to fill, at least in Malayalam.
She hand-picked 101 most popular compositions of the saint-poet and gave a word-by-word translation (Prathipadartham) and also a gist (Thathparyam) of each verse. As senior Telugu professor T.S. Giriprakash Rao translated the Telugu verses into Tamil, she picked them up for translation into Malayalam.
An academician, performer cum researcher, Ms. Varma spoke to The Hindu on the sidelines of a seminar on “Group kritis of different vaggeyakaras,”organised by Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam’s (SPMVV) Department of Music and Fine Arts, where she was the key-note speaker.
The translation work, which she calls her “pet project”, lasted for two years. “The copies are now available at the Maharaja’s College for Women and Kerala University, both in Thiruvananthapuram, and the Chittur College in Palakkad. I will soon present some [copies] to the Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam,” Ms. Varma said.
Ms. Varma was felicitated by SPMVV Rector V. Uma, Dean (Social sciences) D.B. Krishnakumari, seminar coordinator K. Saraswathi Vasudev and academic Dwaram Lakshmi on the occasion.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / Tirupati – March 21st, 2018
The first Indian woman botanist, E K Janaki Ammal, ought to be more widely known for her huge contributions to science. But she remains unknown within the country and outside academic circles and even our textbooks have failed to teach our children about her glorious scientific history
: Just a fortnight before the International Women’s Day, the John Innes Centre in Norfolk, UK, announced a new scholarship for post-graduate students from developing countries in honour of an Indian woman botanist. Under the scheme, 88 applicants who wish to study plant and microbial sciences can apply in commemoration of the distinguished work and contributions of Dr.E.K.Janaki Ammal who was an international alumni of the leading research and training centre between 1940 and 1945.
A heart warming gesture from an institution abroad, but may be India should have done something similar for the country’s first home grown woman scientist, who went overseas and returned accomplished breaking every caste and gender barrier through her work.
Just take a moment to think where we would be without the inventions of this brilliant mind.
Janaki Ammal in younger days | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After laborious crossbreedings in the laboratory of Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore in the 1930s, she created the indigenous variety of sweetened sugarcane that we consume today. Till then India was producing sugarcane in abundance and yet importing as they were not as sweet as the ones grown in the Far East.
During the World War II bombings in the 1940s, she continued her phenomenal research into chromosomes of thousands of species of flowering plants at the John Innes Horticultural Institute, Norfolk, where she worked with some of the best names in cytology, genetics and botany . While working on the gorgeous Magnolia, she co-authored The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants with renowned biologist CD Darlington.
The magnolia saplings she planted on the Battleston Hill in Wisley continue to bloom every Spring and one of the pure white blooms is named after her, the Magnolia kobus Janaki Ammal and apparently only few nurseries in Europe have the variety today.
At a time when most Indian women did not even attend school, she received scholarship and obtained her MS from University of Michigan in 1925 and later returned as the first Indian Oriental Barbour Fellow. She remains one of the few Asian women to be conferred honorary doctorate (DSc. honoris causa) by her alma mater in 1931. There she discovered a new variety of brinjal that exhibited triploidy instead of the normal diploid, where there are two sets of chromosomes in the cells.
The flower Magnolia Kobus Janaki Ammal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
At the insistence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, she returned to India in the 1950s and restructured the Botanical Society of India travelling to several remote areas of the country in search of the plant lore of the indigenous people and scouting for medicinal plants in her home State, Kerala.
A fascinating figure of the early 20th Century she was. E.K.Janaki Ammal lived a life which perhaps very few women of her time could dream of. The distinguished geneticist, cytologist, global plant geographer studied about ecology and biodiversity too and did not fear to take on the Government as an ardent environmental activist. She played an important role in the protests against the building of a hydro-power dam in Kerala’s Silent Valley in the 1970s. She made a mark with her paper on “Man’s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth” at an international symposium in Princeton in 1955 and two decades later, she was awarded the Padmashri in 1977.
With a profile like hers, Janaki Ammal never got into spotlight. If anything she fought her status as a single woman from a caste considered backward and problems with male mentorship in her field. But she proved through her work that Science knows no caste, gender or social boundaries.
Yet for her extraordinary journey from small town Thalassery to the finest institutions across the world, there is no archive related to her in India. Her papers are available only in hard copy at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, according to Vinita Damodaran, who teaches South Asian History at University of Sussex and has also published a well researched paper on “Gender, race and science in twentieth century India: E.K.Janaki Ammal and the history of science.”
Luckily, the Nikari series of talks held under the banner of ‘Manarkeni’, a Tamil research journal, brings to light the works of lesser known women in different fields. In the previous years, the focus was on women in literature and history. This year it chose science and brought the story of Janaki Ammal to the fore.
The talk delivered by S Krishnaswamy, former professor at the School of Biotechnology, MaduraiKamaraj University, highlighted various stages of Janaki’s career both in India and overseas. “Her career shows that scientists must speak their mind with social consciousness even if it means going against the policies of the government. In today’s context, it becomes necessary to bring achievers like her to the forefront,” he asserts.
Janaki Ammal must have conquered her fears and broke the glass ceiling for a rewarding career in science. “She wanted to be known only through her work. Let her work be known to all successive generations, who have much better opportunities” says Krishnaswamy.
An inspiring role model, Janaki Ammal passed away in 1984 at the age of 87 at Maduravoyal near Chennai, while working in the field laboratory of the Centre for Advanced Study in Botany, Univerity of Madras. She perhaps did not receive the acclaim she deserved but devoted herself to research, opening up a universe of possibilities. Let our children not be bereft of that knowledge. It is worth knowing and remembering leaders in science like Janaki Ammal.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Soma Basu / Madurai – March 09th, 2018
