Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education.
Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan, who was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education space, said she was open to visiting India to conduct workshops or have dialogues with teachers here.
“I can teach them how to motivate students to learn, how to teach with rigor and relevance and how to build resilience,” Ms. Balakrishnan toldThe Hindu .
Native of Chennai
The Chennai-born teacher was named 2016 ‘Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year’ and will now represent Texas in the ‘National Teacher of the Year’ competition – a programme that identifies exceptional teachers in the U.S.
Ms. Balakrishnan, who works at Patsy Sommer Elementary School in Texas, did her B.A in economics from Ethiraj College in Chennai. She then did her M.A in economics from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
“My teaching degree is from Texas State University. I came to the U.S. in the eighties and was a systems analyst for 12 years with Liberty Mutual before becoming an educator. Teaching allows me to be creative in my ways of presenting curriculum to students,” she said. She has been teaching for 10 years now.
Her role is to teach math and English to students who are identified as Gifted and Talented (GT). That is, the top 5 per cent of students in the school.
“GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood. This leads to boredom, behaviour issues and under-achievement. In my classroom, they are challenged at their academic and creative level through project-based learning and Socratic questioning,” Ms. Balakrishnan explained.
Quality of teaching
On the education system in India and why it is so tough to get quality teachers here, she said, “I have never taught in India, so I don’t know much about it. Quality teachers just don’t appear magically, whether it is India or the U.S. In order to ‘grow’ successful students, we must ‘grow’ successful teachers. Higher teacher salaries also attract the best of the best to the profession. There has to be a fundamental shift in the way we view teacher support,” she emphasised.
Meeting
On her meeting the U.S. President, Ms. Balakrishnan said, it was a lifetime opportunity to visit the White House and meet the President.
“The ceremony was supposed to take place in the South Lawn. However, as it had rained, it was moved inside. So, I got to see the fantastic portraits of all the Presidents and the lavish decorations. Imagine all the historical conversations that have taken place in the Red Room and the Green Room,” she said.
‘GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood’
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Sangeetha Kandavel / Chennai – May 18th, 2016
I was recently asked by a reader who the first Indian Principal of Law College was. I’m afraid I have no answers, so I pass on the question to the readers of this column. The question, however, set me wondering on who was the first Professor of Law in Madras. The answer to that is a little easier. When the oldest college in the South, Presidency, Madras, started, one of its first faculties was the Law Faculty and its sole lecturer was John Dawson Mayne, who had been invited from the UK to head it. At Presidency, he took his classes in the evening, so that he could appear in court in the mornings.
While practising in London in the 1850s, Mayne wrote a book titled Damages and ‘Mayne on Damages’ is still, I’m told, considered an authoritative work. However, certain remarks he had made in it led to solicitors in London boycotting him and his, as a consequence, accepting the Professorship of Law at Presidency. In India, he became fascinated with Hindu Law and made himself an authority. From 1863 to 1878 he worked with translators and eventually brought out a voluminous treatise on Hindu Law, still considered authoritative. Also considered “indispensable” to every lawyer practising in an Indian criminal court was Mayne’s commentary on the Indian Penal Code.
Mayne’s work on Hindu Law was, however, not a pioneering work, I discovered recently when reading a book of brief biographies of the Chief Justices of Madras during the British period, by V N Srinivasa Rao, an Oxford-educated Barrister who wrote articles and commentaries regularly to various law magazines, mainly in the 1950s and 60s. The pioneer was Sir Thomas Andrew Lumsden Strange who came out in 1798 to head the newly established Recorder’s Court which succeeded the Mayor’s Court. When the former institution was succeeded by the Supreme Court, forerunner of today’s High Court, Sir Thomas in 1801 became its first Chief Justice, a position he held for 15 years. Returning to England in 1817 he began reflecting on Hindu Law and decided to write a book on it. His Elements (of Hindu Law) was published in 1825. But when he sat down to work on a second edition and wrote to several legal luminaries in Madras asking for additional inputs, none replied. In his preface to the 1830 edition, Sir Thomas wrote in sorrow, “In preparing the present edition… the author has no acknowledgements to make in any quarters, for assistance, or suggestion, though invitation, and even solicitation, on his part, has not been wanting.”
The significance of Sir Thomas’ contribution was recognised by Mayne in 1859 when he wrote, “In fact, Sir Thomas Strange’s treatise has done more than merely collecting the authorities upon the Hindu Law. It has settled the Law. Few will search for themselves through Manu and Mithakshara when they find the substance brought out in the masterly English of the Chief Justice of Madras.” I wonder how many in the legal profession in the city recognise today Sir Thomas Strange’s contribution.
***
The cave at Saluvankuppam
The cave in the kuppam
I had in Miscellany April 25 wondered why no prominence has been given to Saluvankuppam as a destination to also be visited by those going to see that open air museum of rock sculpture that is Mahabalipuram. I wouldn’t have if I had not been confused by Sir Walter Elliot’s description of the place. Saluvankuppam is Tiger’s, or Yalis’, Cave where most visitors stop for a while before proceeding south, three miles further, to the main sculptures. There is also a small signboard at the site saying Saluvankuppam, writes Dr. R.K. Natarajan in setting me straight.
Natarajan adds that the kuppam in ancient times was known as Tiruveluchiyur and the sculptures there, including the Athirachanda Mandapam a few yards north of Tiger’s Cave, were created during the reign of Rajasimha, the son of Mahindra Varma Pallava, according to that modern authority on Mahabalipuram, R Nagaswamy. Natarajan adds that there are “two inscriptions here, one in Pallava-Grantha on the southern flank and the other in Nagari on the northern flank.” Both are in praise of Rajasimha.
This information had me searching for a beautiful thin landscaped-sized guidebook on Mahabalipuram that TT.MAPS had produced many decades ago, with photographs by M. Purushothama Rao and script by veteran journalist M C Subrahmanyam. In it, ‘MC’ wrote, “Another attractive monument called the Tiger’s Cave is in Saluvankuppam, a sea-coast village three miles to the north of Mahabalipuram. We see here an enchanting mandapam behind the facade of gigantic, prancing yali-s. To the south of Tiger’s Cave is Athirachanda Mandapam with the bas relief of Somaskanda. Very near the mandapa is a very beautiful sculpture depicting Durga’s fight with Mahishasura. The theme is the same but the artist has exhibited his skill by introducing a number of interesting changes.” Sad, I’d forgotten all this, for I had been the publisher of this guide book!
Trying to learn more about Tiger’s Cave, I searched and found my 40-year-old copy of Michael Lockwood, Gift Siromoney and P Dayanandan’s Mahabalipuram Studies. It did not take me much further than a questioning of Rajasimha’s ownership of the work in much of the Mahapalipuram area. But it did throw up a surprise. They write, “Although these monuments and their figures are all carved out of stone, yet every inch would have been covered by the artisans with a thin layer of fine, white plaster and then painted… All of the human and animal figures would have been painted so as to impart a startling realism to them. The paint, of course has disappeared except for traces.”
They refer in a footnote to a letter they had written to The Hindu in January 1970, “…we three adults (were) craning our necks and peering intently at the upper reaches of the ‘Rathas’… On the basis of a little detective work, we were imagining in our mind’s eye… the ‘Rathas’ completely covered outside and in with bright colours of paint… Imagine the many graceful figures which people the niches of these temples rendered in life-like colour… Imagine the great panel of ‘Arjuna’s Penance’ alive with colour… Everywhere… the unmistakable traces of plaster and paint which have survived more than perhaps a thousand years of weathering… are quite evident.”
Every day a new surprise comes into my life as I work on this column. I had always thought that painting stone sculptures was a new phenomenon.
***
When the postman knocked…
M S Sethuraman’s reference to ‘excommunication’ of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Swaminadhan had D R Santhanam recalling another such incident. He recounts how his paternal grandfather, Anni Seitlur Venkatachari, Village Munsiff of Dusi Mamundur near Kancheepuram and head of 24 families belonging to the Ahobila Mutt, ‘excommunicated’ the family of his younger brother, a District Judge, because he sent his daughter to the UK for higher studies in 1928-29. There, after post graduation, she became private secretary to Lord Louis Mountbatten and came out to India with him when he was appointed Viceroy. After World War II he sent her with the team that went to Japan to facilitate the release of Indian prisoners-of-war. When she eventually returned to Madras as a spinster she wished to adopt one of my correspondent’s brothers but their father said ‘no’, adhering to the ostracism of the past. She then adopted a boy called Narasimhan, who fared well in life and when Dr. D S Rajalakshmi died, he respected her wishes and founded a women’s college in her name in Tiruvallur. The college flourishes, but how many know the background of the person after whom it is named?
The sketch by Bharanidharan and Lady Nye
Another reader, Arun Prakash, recounts another incident he recalled after seeing my mention of Governor Sir Archibald Nye in this column on April 9. Bharanidharan (T S Sridhar), a well-known writer and artist with Ananda Vikatan, had sought a sitting with the Governor to do a drawing of him. Lady Nye watched the proceedings carefully. But as Bharanidharan handed his finished drawing to Sir Archibald for his autograph, Lady Nye interrupted: “That nose is not quite right,” she said and taking Bharanidharan’s drawing pen, she made a minor correction to Nye’s nose. “I too do a bit of sketching,” she had said. The accompanying sketch was published together with this anecdote in theSwadesamitran of September 5, 1948 — as my illustration shows.
Harvard Prof. David R Armitage’s request for information about University of Madras’s Law Professor Alexandrowicz brought me a press cutting from the Alliance Francaise. The cutting from The Hindu of August 14, 1953, states that Charles Henri (the French connection?) Alexandrowicz was elected the first President of the Alliance Francaise. It goes on to list the first office-bearers as follows: Vice-President: Rev. Fr. Charles Racine S.J., Professor of Mathematics, Loyola College; Secretary General: Mrs. Marcella Hardy; Joint Secretary: Dr. V. S. Krishnan, Professor of Mathematics, Madras University; Treasurer: Mr. S S T. Chari, Director of Best and Co.; Members: Mr. M V Subramaniam, I.C.S.; Mr. D. Padmanabhan, I.C.S.; and Mr. W Wolff. Surely there is some kin of theirs who could help out Prof. Armitage. And in passing, I might mention that Chari was the mentor at Best & Crompton of K R N (Ravi) Menon, who is the present President of the Alliance Francaise.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by S. Muthiah / Chennai – May 14th, 2016
By the age of four, she started painting, B and at 10, she was an `artivist’ -using her art work to raise funds and create awareness about different social causes. Now, she is 23, and Anjali Chandrashekhar, has made the city proud! Two of her posters have been selected for a disarmament campaign by the United Nations (UN). In a recent event, which was attended by the top officials of the UN, including the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the two posters which she designed were unveiled. In a chat with Chennai Times, she talks about her journey as an artivist, the UN’s disarmament campaign, projects she plans to do in India and more. Excerpts…
TURNING AN ARTIVIST I have been painting since the age of four. My grandmother ran a trust for children with multiple disabilities and growing up with them made me realise how lucky I was to be what people would call `normal’. When I started getting serious about art, I realised that I had this really powerful platform which I could use to talk about issues that I held close to my heart. That’s when it all began.I did most of my schooling in PSBB and was involved in art then as well. At the age of 10, I founded a global social project called Picture It. This project uses art to raise funds and awareness about health, humanitarian and environmental causes for many national and international organisations, including several campaigns associated with the UN. It was then that I realised I was really passionate about using my art for greater causes.
CAREER IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN I headed to New York to study industrial design at Pratt Institute, based in Brooklyn. It seemed like a good marriage of my passion for art and creating physical products that had a tangible impact on people’s lives. I was really excited to try working three dimensionally . There was so much more I could do with an object, and I loved how it was more engaging and interactive.Now, I work as a designer, researcher and consultant and I am trying to gain more experience working at the intersection of design, technology and social innovation. POSTER DESIGN FOR THE DISARMAMENT CAMPAIGN The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs sponsored the UN Poster for Peace Contest, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly resolution, which established the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.The contest aimed to raise awareness for the need for nuclear disarmament and to inspire citizens across the globe to add their voices, and use their artistic talents, to promote a world free of nuclear weapons.Nuclear disarmament is usually spoken about on such a high level and I believe that art has the power to humanise us, and some of the most pressing issues that the world faces today . It is also able to transcend barriers of age, language and literacy, and so, I thought this was a great opportunity for me to show that the brush can be mightier than arms.
Earlier this year, I worked on a couple of posters around the theme of peace and nuclear disarmament when the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs had announced an international call for entries. With over 4,000 entries received from around the world, I had the honour of having two of my posters being chosen for the official 2016 campaign.
RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE BIGWIGS Releasing the posters on May 3 with the Secretary General was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will cherish forever. I also had the opportunity to meet Mogens Lykketoft (President of the General Assembly), Kim Won-soo (Under Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs), and actor Michael Douglas, who has been the longest standing UN Messenger of Peace. I got to speak with them and understand what they do and the challenges within the realm of nuclear disarmament. Ban Ki-moon also did an art interpretation of my poster.
PLANS FOR PROJECTS IN INDIA I am working on some exciting projects that are based in India, and I am looking forward to it. A project on water and sanitation is something I have in mind. If I get adequate funds, I intend to definitely go ahead with the project.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by Ashish Ittyerah Joseph / May 12th, 2016
The Pongal festival celebrated as a community event / The Hindu
Terrain and climate have endowed Tamil land with a unique culinary culture. Geetha Venkataramanan captures the essence.
‘Unavae marundhu, marundhae unavu’ – this sums up Tamil food, rather food consumed south of Asia from the ancient days. Traditional food and recipes are catching the attention of the health conscious even as the so called convenient and fast food have made inroads into lifestyle.
The presentation that C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer Foundation had organised recently in Chennai came as a timely reminder not only of the wealth that Tamil Nadu has in terms of food but the history and culture behind the treasure. The speakers – Kausalya Santhanam, Bhaktavatsala Bharati and Viji Varadarajan – took the audience through the Tamil land’s rich (vegetarian) food heritage spanning thousands of years.
Kausalya Santhanam.
The humble idli, eminently suitable for all ages (thanks to steam preparation), did not after all originate here, said Kausalya, who acknowledged Dr. K.T. Achaya as her source. It has its roots in Indonesia, where it was called ‘kedli,’ the chefs accompanying the kings of that country bringing with them the methods of fermentation. The staple food of the South Indians finds mention in Manasollasa, the 12 century encyclopaedia. Dosai and aappam find mention in Sangam literature.
The five divisions of land as Marudham, Kurinji, Paalai, Mullai and Neidhal have high value in Tamil literature with the people and the chieftains leading lives as dictated by the nature of the terrain in which they lived.
Sangam literature attributes distinctive characteristics to the denizens of each region. Geography decided the occupation of the people, which in turn reflected in the food they ate.
Rice figured in ancient Tamil literature, that which was stored for three years considered premium. Guess what Brahmins ate? Curd rice and mango pickle! Rice roasted on hot sand was a favourite snack.Pathupattu sings of salt exchanged for rice. All, including women consumed alcoholic beverages, toddy being the most common.
Sesame oil (nallennai) and coconut oil find mention in Naaladiyar and Divya Prabhandam. While references to turmeric and pepper are plenty, conspicuous by its absence is mustard. How was food seasoned then, one wonders.
In recent history, the Maratha rulers had several kitchens, so elaborate was the cooking drawn from various cuisines.
Bhaktavatsala Bharathy
It was the Kurinji (hills) people, who discovered fire to cook meat, informed Bhaktavatsala Bharati. Mullai (pastoral) people, basically farmers, took to boiling and frying was a technique adopted by the people of Marudham and Neidhal (seashore). He went on to say that ancient Tamil has 13 terms to refer to food, Una, undi, agaaram, for example.
There were 209 sub-cultures and as many food practices. Eating, he said, was a social act. Food was meant to be shared. Quite understandable, hospitality being the hallmark of the Tamils. The concept of sharing is behind the act of Koozh vaarthal, an activity so common in Amman temples (annadanamcould be an echo of this custom) and which transcends the rural-urban divide. The haves and have-nots found a common ground here. Grains were collected and the porridge made to be distributed among the villagers. Mayanakollai also is based on the same concept, he said. The temple figured as a place of refuge and solace, where the local community gathered. The temple kitchen is therefore as sacred as the sanctum, he observed.
Water was brought from the Cauvery delta to quench the thirst of pilgrims, who trekked to Palani (Kurinji), to participate in the famous Panguni Uthiram festival happening in March, when the weather is hot. The generosity was reciprocated by the Nattukottai Chettiar community that carried jaggery during Thai Poosam, January being a cooler month and the sweet would give warmth in the hilly region!
Yet another point to underline how food and eating were community-based. Bharati made the interesting observation that the woman was the first farmer, her tool being the trident (soolam). It has always fallen upon the women to feed the family, a trait that can be traced back a thousand years and more. What better way than to dig the soil and sow seeds for long-term benefit?
Food united communities and flavours differed although the same ingredients were used.
Viji Varadarajan
Viji Varadarajan explained how food was classified according to three qualities – tamas, sattva and rajas, the middle one preferred by Brahmins, especially the priestly class. This accounted for the absence of garlic and onion in their preparations. The components that go into a typical sambar have medicinal properties that cannot be ignored, she said.
Author of several cook books, Viji literally led the audience through the hills and plains of the South, where the Kongu, Vellala, Chettinad, Kannada, Andhra and Kerala communities tossed and tweaked ingredients to offer recipes unique to their belts.
To the modern refrain of eat millets, Viji’s answer was: “Yes, millets are healthy and nutritious. But it is best to continue with what one grew up with. Only mind the portions.”
Globalisation opened all the doors, food being no exception. Fast recipes and takeaways have reduced the time spent in the kitchen. Teach children the importance of traditional food, which alone can keep modern day’s diseases at bay, Bhaktavatsala pleaded. Can across the counter delicacies offer ‘Ammavin kaimanam’ that comes with so much love and concern? Kausalya’s question was of course rhetoric.
When Masterchef shows are popular, it is most appropriate that C.P. Ramaswamy Foundation chose to whet the appetite for traditional cuisine, which never considered food and health as two different things.
The taste buds were taken into account too, as the delicious sweet thinaipongal offered at the start indicated.
Henri Tipagne, the recepient of the eighth Human Rights award from Amnesty International | P JAWAHAR
Chennai :
Human rights activist Henri Tiphagne has become the first Indian to receive the human rights award from the Amnesty International. Tiphagne, known more as the founder of People’s Watch, says his activism began when in his youth he was stopped from doing flood relief work, because the villagers did not know if he was from a ‘pure’ caste or not.
Q: What does this award mean to you?
A: I think this award is not for me as an individual, but for all those who do good work and go unrecognised. This award highlights the shrinking civil society space globally.
Q: With more than 30 years of active participation in human rights cases, what was the first case that drove you to this phase?
A: It started in 1977, when human rights was not known in the country. We would call it a fight for social justice. In the same year, in November at Vedasandur, a panchayat in Dindigul, a group of volunteers including me went for doing flood relief work as the Alagapuri dam in Vedasandur had broken. But when we started work, we were prevented by the so-called ‘upper caste’ of the village from cleaning a particular well. They said it in good interest. We were supposed to clean only pure well, considering us to be pure people. Only then, I understood the concept of impure well and pure well. They did not know our caste. So they did not allow us to go to the impure well. But we refused to do it, and I think it is that refusal that turned a life of refusal for me and taught me many things.
Q: You are an advocate as well. What made you take up law?
A: To support the poor, you also have to be competent in terms of being a lawyer. That is what forced me to take up law in 1980. But we could not study law in the college, as it taught us how to prepare ourselves for breaking law. So my study of law was study of street law in the streets of Madurai intervening in the lives of several people.
Q: Do you think independent institutions in India can work or survive?
A: Of course, we have the best example of the Election Commission. Though it has drawbacks it still controls the entire nation during elections. They conduct peaceful elections and all States follow their instructions. The reason is most of the people in it are vigilant. We have gone one step ahead. The commission does not only conduct election but also conducts campaign to attain 100 per cent Voting. So if independent institutions work better and are vigilant, that could make a difference.
Q: Things that need to be implemented for betterment of the country.
A: We have to ensure that human rights education is taught in schools so that it functions as an antidote to challenge inequality in this country. Protection should be given to defenders. All persons defending the good are attacked and they should be protected. Institutions should be focused and should be made to work.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Jayanthi Pawar / May 05th, 2016
Madras Musings, a journal that focusses on heritage, nostalgia and on asking for a better Madras, has just completed 25 years.
Madras Musings, that tabloid-sized fortnightly that cares for the city, a journal that focusses on heritage, nostalgia and on asking for a better Madras, has just completed 25 years. That it has done so has been entirely due to a unique arrangement N. Sankar of the Sanmar Group made when it seemed as though, like many another small journal, it was doomed to failure after struggling along for five years when it had been mothered by what was then Lokavani-Hallmark Printers. The Sankar plan involved getting a dozen corporates who cared for the city to support the journal with an equal donation every year. That dozen has grown to nearly two dozen now — and no one asks for anything in return, not even reports about their activities; all they want is a place for their logos as acknowledgement.
I know of no other journal that has been kept going in this fashion. But that Madras Musings has been is because the donors felt strongly that the people of a city should know about the past and present of the place and be able to discuss its future. In the early years of the journal, this seemed to attract an elderly audience; this was reading material for old people, the young seemed to say. But to judge by the greetings Madras Musings recently received, the bulk came from such young persons’ media as Facebook, blogs and Twitter (if I’ve got the jargon right). And there appear to be more and more young people getting interested in heritage as well as wanting to do something for the city.
We are now hearing about young leaders of heritage walks, camera trails, sketching outings; we are hearing about the young getting down to beach cleaning, road sprucing, and working at reviving heritage. Just the other day, a couple of post-graduate doctors from Madras Medical College came to meet me to say they were working on a history of the college, that they were trying to give new life to old buildings like the famed Anatomy Block, and that they were trying to create a college museum.
Madras Musings, which has been associated with Madras Day, Madras Week, Madras Month has been noting how every year the participation of the young in heritage events has been increasing. You find them organising events, you find them on walks, you find them at lectures, you find them exhibiting and quizzing — and all in growing numbers every year.
It certainly triggered something, did Madras Musings, and now it watches the slow but steady growth of interest in heritage and in the city and looks forward to this burgeoning. But talk to those connected with the journal, and they’ll tell you a much wider audience needs to be reached. That there must be a reach to the grassroots. Anyone willing to support a Madras Musings-in-Tamil start-up?
Memories of times past
The picture of Yercaud and the Shevaroys last week brought back memories of my year at Montfort where I had come to do my Senior Cambridge. Together with Sacred Heart Convent (SHY), the two schools were the pride of Yercaud. It was only in much more recent times that I foundreason to believe that Yercaud, the first of the South’s hill stations, had much more to be proud of. M.D. Cockburn, the introducer of coffee, Robert Bruce Foote, the Rev. P. Percival, Dr. John Shortt, Nat Terry the boxer, and film mogul T.R. Sundaram all had their homes there. They’ve all figured in this column in the past for their significant contributions to the Presidency. But as schoolboys none of these names had meant anything to us, except possibly Terry and Sundaram of Modern Theatres. Our world tended to be centred on Montfort and on the SHY girls during the once-a-week film show in our hall into which they walked in two by two carefully watched over by Mother Bernard.
Montfort at the time was headed by Bro. Eleazar, Titch to all, but anything but small as a presence! It was only recently that I discovered that this Brother of the Order of St. Gabriel had come out to Montfort as a teenager, with his more earthly education incomplete. He arrived speaking only French, but went on to do his Senior Cambridge from Montfort in a couple of years and then Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Loyola, topping every class. What a fine teacher he proved and what a first class educational institution he made of Montfort during his tenure as Principal. That would rate him an out-of-the-ordinary Old Boy and another whom Yercaud should be proud of.
Sundaram’s was a rather different world from Titch’s. He had a gleaming white house, well raised off the road, which we used to stare at every time we went to Montfort and back. It had a magnificent garden well worth staring at if, at that age, we appreciated floral beauty, but the staring was more a sign of awe over an invisible presence, a man who made films by the score as well as money in numbers we couldn’t quite imagine. Of him, Randor Guy has said, “He was perhaps the only person in cinema history to own a studio and produce a hundred films, most of which he directed himself.” In that studio, over a period of 40 years, he produced films in all the South Indian languages besides movies in Hindi, Sinhalese and English. It was in Modern Theatres’ studio in Salem, just where the Ghat road to Yercaud begins, a studio with all film-making facilities under one roof and run like a smoothly functioning manufacturing unit, that Sundaram made the first Malayalam film, Balan, the first Malayalam colour film, Kandam Becha Kottu, and the first Tamil film in colour, Ali Babavum Narpathu Thirudargalum. As boys, particularly as boys in an Anglo-Indian school, we knew little of all this. But a movie-maker — and a person who was supposed to be the richest person in the district — was someone to be in awe of at that age, whoever you were.
So Sundaram’s house always had our attention as we marched to the Big Lake and back.
When the postman knocked…
* Mohandas has a query and I wonder whether anyone can help. Quoting this column and books I’ve written, he says the first car to be registered in Madras was Sir Francis Spring’s and it bore the number MC-1. The next car I have mentioned, he says, is Namberumal Chetty’s MC-3. But what was MC-2, he asks. It has been recorded that even before Spring’s car came out in 1901, A.J. Yorke, a director of Parry & Co, had brought out a car from England and that it attracted much attention on the roads of Madras. I wonder whether this was MC-2. Or is there another answer?
* Mail seeking help from readers of this column arrived the other day from David R. Armitage, Chair, Department of History, Harvard University. He and Jennifer Pitts of the University of Chicago are editing the essays of Prof. Charles H. Alexandrowicz for publication by Oxford University and they seek “any reminiscences of his time in Madras or any letter or any other writings of his that anyone may possess. Responses to armitage@fas.harvard.edu”. Prof. Alexandrowicz arrived in Madras in 1950 and the next year he started what was is now known as the Department of Legal Studies in the University of Madras. He started the first M.L. degree course in India in International & Constitutional Law. He headed the Department until 1961 when he left Madras after a decade in the city. He also was the first Chairman of the Alliance Française in Madras when it transformed itself in 1954 from the Groupe Française that had been founded in 1948.
* Commenting on Albion Banerjee’s religious leanings and his studying Tamil (Miscellany, April 4), M.S. Sethuraman writes, and I quote him: “Excommunication for travel abroad was followed in all parts of India. Mahatma Gandhi was ostracised and so also Dr. Swaminadhan. None of the Palghat Iyers offered for his marriage, resulting in his visit to his village and sought the daughter of Ammu’s mother.
“Sir Albion Banerjee ICS opted for Madras cadre, perhaps due to resistance from Bengal families. W.E. Banerjee, early Congress President, converted to Christianity when expelled from his caste due to his crossing the seas. Sir Albion should have studied Tamil after his Madras appointment (SM’s note: No). ICS officers were asked to learn a local language on appointment and cash awards are also awarded. A.S.P. Ayyar ICS, in addition to his Malayalam, learnt Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, but the then British Government limited the cash award to one language.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by S. Muthiah / April 30th, 2016
TRAILING THE TURTLES: Historian Orissa Balu. Photo: Special Arrangement
Historian Sivagnanam Balasubramani, popularly known as Orissa Balu, deciphers the sea trade routes used by ancient Tamil sailors through his research on sea turtles
‘Thirai kadal odiyum thiraviam thedu’ (Seek your fortune even by venturing overseas) — Tamil poet Avvaiyar.
The Sangam literature is a rich repository of information on the ancient Tamil way of living. Amidst its chapters that vividly describe the beauty of nature, lifestyle and social structure of the old Tamil country, the Purananuru elicits the flourishing sea trade of those times. From ships, sea routes, daring maritime voyages to the merchandise that were traded and the expertise of the Tamil seafarers, it talks in detail of the mighty ocean and the strong bond the people shared with it.
For the past two decades, historian Orissa Balu, has been collecting real-life evidences and remnants from across the coast of Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in the world, correlating them with the references in Sangam literature. “The land expanse mentioned in the literary works is a much larger area than the present day Tamil Nadu state. Our ancestors had maintained trade links from Europe in the west to the Far East,” says Balu. “Excavations at Adichanalur have yielded skeletons of people belonging to five different races. It’s an indication that we have been a centre of international trade, paving way for exchange of culture and language.”
According the Balu, the root of the word ‘Tamilar’ comes from ‘Dramilar’, which in turn is a derivative of ‘Thirai Meelar’ – an expression to denote sea farers. “It was considered a science to be able to return from the sea. The Tamil seafarers had an advanced idea of direction, geography and weather. They were able to come back to their home turf after sea voyages spanning months and years covering millions of nautical miles. The word ‘Thirai Meelar’ is mentioned repeatedly in works like Manimekalai andSilapathikaram.”
Sea faring was such a thriving industry that the Tamil society is said to have had over 20 different communities working for sea trade. Literature talks about the Vathiriyars (people who weaved the sail), Odavis (men who built ships), Kuliyalis (Surfers) and Mugavaiyars (divers who fished pearl from the deep sea bed).
Balu who has done an extensive study on the ‘Paimara Kappal’ (sail boat), the indigenous vessel of ancient Tamils, says, “The sail cloth used in the Sangam age was 20 metres in width, 10 metres in height and could withstand a wind velocity of 250km/hr. It’s notable that even the women were experts in sailing and pearl fishing. Even today, we can find women diving into the sea in search of pearls along the coast of Tuticorin.”
He adds, “The mechanism of building the boat was unique as they used nearly 42 kinds of wood including the Karunkali wood for the central pole that withstood lightning. Today, the coastal Muslim community practices the age-old boat building technique. There are hardly 25 sail boats and five families of boat builders left in Kayalpatnam and Keezhakarai.”
The Sangam literature also documents the presence of over 20,000 islands in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, says Balu. ‘Muziris Papyrus is a document on the evolved sea trade of Tamils. It shows how advanced and strategically planned were the supply chain network and management policies of Tamil traders.” Balu postulates that ancient Tamil seafarers followed sea turtles and thus chalked maritime trade routes. For over 21 years, he has been doing research on sea turtles, mapping their migration routes.
“The turtle has the ability of returning to its home turf even after migrating thousands of miles in the sea. They float along sea currents and don’t swim in the ocean. The technique used by Tamil sailors must have been inspired from this,” he says. “There’s a proper documentation of the life cycle of sea turtles in Sangam literature.”
Balu is researching on the migration routes of Olive Ridleys, Green Turtles and Leatherbacks which visit the Tamil Nadu coast.
“My idea is to use historical facts for sustainable living in the present times,” says Balu, who runs the Integrated Ocean Culture Research Foundation, based in Chennai. “We have people from over 72 sea-related fields researching on various subjects. We have created a link between the stakeholders of the sea, from marine engineers and ship builders to fishermen.” Orissa Balu delivered a lecture at a programme organised by INATCH Madurai Chapter.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / A. Shrikumar / Madurai – April 29th, 2016
The forgotten ruins in this small village remind us of the power that a tiny, faraway country wielded on our coast for over 200 years.
As one drives down the East Coast Road from Chennai, about half an hour past the World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram, is a village called Sadurangapattinam, anglicized to Sadras. An important Dutch settlement between the 17th and 19th centuries, this nondescript village is home to the ruins of a picturesque seaside brick fortress.
Back in the 16th century, before the Dutch arrived on Indian shores, the Portuguese had pretty much monopolized maritime routes between Asia and Europe. This wasn’t a problem as long as the Dutch could use Portuguese seaports to conduct their trade. However, this became unviable in the late 16th century, as Portugal was taken over by the king of Spain, with whom the Dutch were at war.
Since the Dutch now had to find another way, merchants in the tiny country started setting up companies to send fleets of ships to South East Asia.
In the year 1602, a national resolution merged all of these players into one Dutch East India Company. The company was empowered to do business, build ports, factories and fortresses, negotiate deals, and even wage wars if required.
Over the next two centuries, the Dutch East India Company established settlements in different ports on the Coromandel coast of southern India.
The first foothold that they gained was in Machilipatnam in present day Andhra Pradesh, where they built their first factory. Over the following decades, they set up shop in various coastal towns, including three important centres in Tamil Nadu – Pulicat, straddling the state’s border with Andhra Pradesh, which served as their capital for a long time, Nagapattinam their later capital, and Sadras, about 80km south of Chennai.
Sadras lies adjacent to the Kalpakkam township. Dating back to the mid 17th century, the fortress is built on a rectangular plan, and is entered through a gateway on the west, with a watchtower above it. A canon stands on each side of the entrance. The eastern wall overlooks the sea, and has a bastion on top, to protect the fort against attacks from the sea. Most of the fortress is gone, leaving a few structures like a granary, stables and a Dutch cemetery.
The cemetery contains beautiful tombs with ornate inscriptions dating back to the 17th century.
It is usually kept under lock and key, but visitors can request the caretaker to open it for them. An antechamber stands behind the graves, with sunlight streaming in through a caved-in roof.
A structure that was used to mount elephants
Back in the day, the Sadras fort was referred to as Fort Orange, because orange is the colour of Dutch royalty. The settlement was famous for the extremely fine muslin that was spun in its looms. Other items traded from the port included pearls, spices, rice, bricks and beautiful printed textiles called chintz.
The control that the Dutch East India Company had over the Coromandel Coast, gave them monopoly over trade routes to the East Indies, essentially the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia.
However, their supremacy didn’t last very long.
As the British rapidly grew stronger and the Dutch company began to decline due to various reasons like wars, competition, bad financial policies, increasing costs, decreasing demands, etc, it became unaffordable for them to hold on to their settlements in India. The British attacked and captured the Sadras fortress in the late 18th century, destroying it in the process.
In a few decades it went back into the hands of the Dutch, but in the 19th century, they signed a treaty with the British and ceded all of their Indian settlements to them.
The double decker tomb in front is said to belong to two brothers.
The details on a tomb
Today, not much remains of Sadurangapattinam’s Dutch legacy, but the forgotten ruins in this small village remind us of the power that a tiny, faraway country wielded on our coast for over 200 years.
All photographs by Madhumita Gopalan
(Madhumita Gopalan is a photographer, blogger and history enthusiast who loves photo-documenting travel, culture and architecture. She blogs at www.madhugopalan.com.)
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home / by Madhumita Gopalan / Saturday – April 30th, 2016
The eighth Human Rights Award of Amnesty International was presented to Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director, Madurai-based People’s Watch, at a function organised in Berlin on Monday.
“Henri Tiphagne’s passionate advocacy in the fight against torture and discrimination in India is exemplary and serves as an inspiration for activists all over the world who are campaigning for human rights,” said Selmin Calıskan, Director of Amnesty International Germany.
In his address, Mr. Henri said, “We would like to thank Amnesty International for this award, which reminds us that we are not alone in our fight for human rights. India has a vibrant civil society; I am humbled to accept this prize on behalf of all the brave women and men who tirelessly campaign for human rights in India.
However, the space for civil society activists is shrinking constantly.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Special Correspondent / Madurai – April 27th, 2016
Come summer, parents wonder how to keep children occupied. The studious types keep themselves engaged with computers, painting or music classes. Naughty ones prefer to play outdoors.
The boys keep themselves occupied by enrolling in numerous cricket academies, and many also join swimming clubs. Girls generally take up table tennis or chess and stay away from the heat.
This is how CR Harshavardhini was initiated into table tennis at the tender age of seven. She has grown since, and is currently No 1 in the junior category in India. The 17-year old’s self-belief, dedication and hard work have helped her evolve as a table tennis player of repute. Moreover, her decision to train under one coach and one academy has paid rich dividends.
“At a time when players were shifting from one academy to another once in 2-3 years, I entrusted Harshavardhini to noted coach Ravi Venkatesh. Ravi took personal interest in her game, and has groomed her into a champion,” recalls CK Ravichandran, Harshavardhini’s father.
Harsha has forged a reputation as a ‘giant killer’ thanks to her attacking play. “She has developed into an attacking player, who is swift on her feet too. She is dedicated and sincere. Her self-belief is a big plus,” says coach Ravi, based at MVM Academy at Maharishi Vidya Mandir School, Chetpet. “Since the academy is in her school, it’s easy to train in the morning and evening. The school management too has been supportive by granting her leave to take part in tournaments,” adds Ravi.
Harsha says passion for the game is her driving force. “Love for the game has enabled me to climb up the ladder. My solid preparations at the academy have helped beat higher ranked players like Manika Batra, who is ranked No 1 in youth and women.”
The Class 12 student, who wants to do commerce, has represented India in the cadet category and won gold in the team event at the South Asian Games. Harsha has also won gold for India at Open events in Elsavder and Gautemala.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Ashok Venugopal / April 27th, 2016
