Monthly Archives: October 2014

When a duo punched above their weight

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The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy. / The Hindu Archives
The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy. / The Hindu Archives

The 1st all-woman boxing bout lasted only 3 rounds but ignited a fiery debate

Sunday was a fine day for Indian women’s boxing at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. Olympic bronze-medallist M. C. Mary Kom, L. Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani entered the semi-finals, assuring medals for the nation. However, it was right here, in Madras city, that the first punches in women’s boxing in the country were thrown.

It was Saturday, the 15th of March, 1931, when two Indian women stepped into the ring for a bout of professional boxing at the famous White City Carnival held in the city. Looking fierce in knee-length shorts, sleeveless jerseys and gloved fists, the women appeared every bit combat-ready. Kamala Bai of Malabar and Sita Bai of Tanjore were trained boxers, touted to be in good form. Singapore’s English daily The Straits Times reported that this was arguably a first for India.

Visibly excited, The Hindu published an article five days prior to the event urging its readers to brace themselves to witness for the first time two ‘Indian ladies’ meeting in the boxing arena — until now the most exclusive preserve of men.

Large crowds, including a number of Europeans, assembled to watch history in the making. While the first two rounds saw the boxers on the defensive, the third round saw them packing a punch, exchanging double jabs, hard rights, hooks, and uppercuts. Disappointingly, by round three, the session drew to a close with referee V.E.J Brackstone of Messrs. Parry and Company declaring it a draw.

Despite their underwhelming performance, both Kamala Bai and Sita Bai stayed in the news — even making international headlines for days to come.

‘Shocked and pained’

The fact that two Hindu women dared to ‘invade’ the boxing ring also left many Indian men and women ‘shocked and pained’. Florida’s The Evening Independent published a report on March 16, 1931 titled ‘Women Boxers arouse India’. The story stated that ‘feminine India was up in arms’ with the female boxers facing ‘social ostracism and disgrace,’ having engaged in a boxing match in Madras.

For a country that had for centuries relegated their women to rigid domesticity, ‘ladies boxing’ became particularly hard to digest.

Mahatma Gandhi for instance found this to be especially problematic. He was quoted in Pennsylvania’sReading Eagle as saying women boxing was ‘degrading, disreputable and totally unbecoming of the finer instincts of Indian womanhood.’

Today, as the country celebrates the laurels of our women boxers, it seems only appropriate to pause and acknowledge the spirit of Kamala Bai and Sita Bai. For if not for them, we as a nation may have not dared to imagine the likes Mary Kom, L Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani fighting the good fight.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Nitya Menon / Chennai – September 30th, 2014

Industrialist P.K. Mohamed dead

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P.K. Mohamed
P.K. Mohamed

People from all walks of life paid tributes to industrialist P.K. Mohamed, 73, who died here on Monday. He was the managing director (MD) of Western India Plywoods Ltd. (WIP).

He had been recuperating at his residence at Thana here after a recent cardiac surgery. The body was taken to Thalassery for burial at Elangol Juma Masjid, Chettamkunnu.

Early years

He followed his father, A.K. Kaderkutty, into the industry. After college education in Chennai, Mohamed went to Germany for extensive training in wood technology.

He joined WIP as production manager in 1962. He was made MD in 1993.

He was involved in the modernisation and diversification of the company.

He had functioned as office-bearer of the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce and was a sports organiser. He was a member of various industry organisations and was actively involved in the social sphere.

He is survived by wife and four sons. Political leaders including Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph and E. Ahamed paid their last respects.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – October 01st, 2014

British guilty of many acts worse than Wagon Tragedy: historian

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The British resorted to many crueller acts during the Malabar Rebellion of 1921 than the Wagon Tragedy and it was because of the martial law clamped in Malabar that the world did not know about them, historian M. Gangadharan has said.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on Wagon Tragedy at Tirur on Tuesday, Dr. Gangadharan said the tragedy was not the cruellest act of British oppression during the Malabar Rebellion.

“We used to believe that the Wagon Tragedy, in which 67 of the 90-odd Mapilas packed in a goods wagon from Tirur to Podanur suffocated to death, was the worst and cruellest incident of the Malabar Rebellion. But it was not,” Dr. Gangadharan told a packed audience.

He argued that the world learned about the Wagon Tragedy as there was no martial law in Podanur and, therefore, the incident was reported by major newspapers of the world.

“The dastardly act of the British came to light when the goods wagon was opened at Podanur. Had it occurred anywhere in Malabar, where the martial law prevented publishing of sensitive information, it would have gone unreported,” he said.

Dr. Gangadharan said that as many as 215 Mapila youngsters were pulled out of their homes and massacred in front of their families. “It happened on October 25, 1921. The Wagon Tragedy wasn’t as cruel as the killing of those adult Mapilas in front of their family,” Dr. Gangadharan said.

MES Central School, Tirur, organised the seminar as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Muslim Educational Society.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Mallapuram  – October 01st, 2014

Mathrubhumi award for Sugathakumari

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Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari / PTI
Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari / PTI

Malayalam poet and social activist Sugathakumari has been chosen for Mathrubhumi Literary Award (Mathrubhumi Sahitya Puraskaram) for 2014.

This was announced by M.P. Veerendrakumar, managing director, and P.V. Chandran, managing editor of Mathrubhumi, here on Wednesday. The award carries a purse of Rs.2 lakh, a citation, and a statuette. A judging committee comprising poet Vishnu Narayanan Namboodiri as chairman and poet K. Satchitanandan and literary critic M. Leelavathi as members chose Ms. Sugathakumari in recognition of her contributions to Malayalam literature for the past 50 years.

Major works

Some of her prominent works arePathirappookal; Raathrimazha; Ambalamani; Krishnakavithakal; Radhayevide; Kurinjippookkal; and Thulaavarshappacha.

The 80-year-old poet was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2006 for waging a struggle against the destruction of environment in the name of development.

She is the founder editor of Thaliru, a children’s magazine published by the Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature and former chairperson of the Kerala State Women’s Commission.

Ms. Sugathakumari is also the founder secretary of Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature and of Abhaya, a home for destitute women. The literary award is being presented to her on the occasion of the 90 year of Mathrubhumi.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kozhikode – October 02nd, 2014

House Donated by Freedom Fighter Left in Lurch

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Palakkad :

While cleaning programmes mark the observance of the Gandhi Jayanthi across the country, the house and property donated by Gandhiji’s fellow freedom fighter Raghava Poduval in Paruthipra near Shoranur to Sarvodya Sangham stand in utter neglect.The house is located in the three acres of land on the banks of the Nila. The property was donated by Shoranur Parathipra Mahadevamangalam Neduvilpat Raghava Poduval alias Raghavji to the Sarvodaya Sangham before his death in December 1992.

Raghavji was one among the 78 persons  participated in the Dandi Yathra led by Mahathma Gandhi. “When we were children, we used to purchase gingelly oil from the mill set up here. Soap, honey and khadi clothes were also made at Raghavji’s house. Weaving classes were alsoconducted here,” said social activist Prasad Shoranur.  “After India attained Independence, Gandhiji exhorted all freedom fighters to return to their villages and continue their work. And Raghavji returned to Parathipra near Shoranur and continued his selfless service here,” he said.

Manager of the building Vanaja said that most of the buildings were in a dilapidated condition. “Only a few buildings here are safe.

“ We collect clothes, honey and oil from the various Sarvodsaya Sanghams now and keep it in this building. During this Onam, we clocked a sale of `2,40,000,” said Vanaja. “We are not getting any other funds for maintenance,” she adds.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by A. Satish / October 12th, 2014