In what can be termed yet another feather in the cap of this illustrious institution, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, has been accorded special heritage status by the University Grants Commisson (UGC). The college, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, has been sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the conservation of valuable articles of historic and archaeological importance.
“We have received a communique in this connection from the UGC. The recognition and financial support would go a long way in preserving several articles of historic significance in the college dating back to the colonial period,” said principal P M Ismail. “Every department in this historic college has something or the other, including rare furniture, and they need to be preserved.”
As a start, the college plans to set up a small museum on its campus. Later, steps would be taken to preserve vintage buildings, too. “From the specimens and microscope in the zoology department to various other articles and documents in other departments, the college is a treasure trove that needs to be preserved for posterity,” said Valsalan A, head of the history department, who took the initiative – along with colleagues Dinesan V, Gireesh Vishnu Namboodiri and Sudheer Kumar P – to obtain UGC aid as part of recommendations in the 12th Plan.
The college, incidentally, also houses the remains of a fort on its campus, which has been described as a redoubt (temporary fortification) in William Logan’s Malabar Manual. This too needs to be protected, Valsalan said. Since there are limitations to use the UGC aid for this purpose, their plan is to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the coming days, he said.
The college was established in 1862 by Edward Brennen, a master attendant at Thalassery port, as a free school in Thalassery town. Later, in 1890, it was elevated to the status of a II-Grade College, and was shifted in 1958 to the new building at Dharmadam. In 2011, the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with A-grade.
Now, with this rare accomplishment, the college plans to organize a year-long 125th anniversary celebration, which would be finalized later, the principal said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / July 04th, 2015
A scientist arranging specimens at an exhibition of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, in connection with its centenary celebrations. —Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
Kozhikode Collector to flag off centenary run at its centre
The year-long centenary celebrations of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) at its Western Ghat Regional Centre will kick off with a ‘Centenary Run’ starting from its campus at Jaffar Khan Colony in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
School and college students, staff members of the regional centre and people will participate in the run and the curtain-raiser event followed by it in the afternoon.
A variety of programmes including national seminars on Western Ghat conservation, workshops, public awareness programmes and competitions for school and college students will be among the programmes to be organised as part of the centenary celebrations, said P.M. Sureshan, senior scientist and officer-in-charge of the centre.
The natural history museum at the centre has been spruced-up to welcome the visitors as part of the celebrations. The museum that features a wide variety of representative fauna of Western Ghats, will be a key attraction for the visitors during the celebrations, said Dr. Sureshan. The museum has a good collection of seashells, insects, fossils, seashore animals and fishes to attract the viewers.
A section titled ‘A Journey through the Western Ghats,’ takes the viewers through the photographs and embalmed samples of living thing including birds, animals and butterflies endemic to the Western Ghats. Besides eye-catching pictorials and models of life from the Ghats, the section also features pictures of a large variety of amphibians, mammals, fishes, retails, molluscs and dragonflies in the section. Entry to the museum will be free from 10 a.m.
‘Taking Science to People,’ is the theme of the centenary celebrations. “That will precisely be what we attempt to do through various programmes as part of the celebrations,” said Dr. Sureshan, who maintained that the centenary celebration would also be an occasion to introduce the institute to the public as well as to the scientific community outside. District Collector N. Prasanth will flag off the centenary run at the centre at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Mayor A.K. Premajam will inaugurate the centenary celebrations at the centre at 2 p.m.. Dr. P.S. Easa, former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Musthari / Kozhikode – July 01st, 2015
It was a journey down memory lane for Mridangam exponent Guruvayur Dorai on Sunday when his disciples and fans converged at Kalpathy near here to celebrate his 80th birth anniversary. It also marked the opening of the Guruvayur Dorai Music Centre.
“Music is not just my passion. It is my life,” said the eminent musician in his acceptance speech. He also recalled his initial training under Palghat Subba Iyer and E.P. Narayana Pisharody and later under the legendary master Palani Subramaniam Pillai.
“I had initiated my concert performances at the age of eight. It was a long road since then. I am happy that my efforts in the field of mridangam and music have helped propagate the art around the globe,” said this ;exponent of the Pudukottai style of mridangam. Dorai aka Vaidynathan was born in Guruvayur to G.S. Krishna Iyer and Meenakshi. His sister Guruvayur Ponnammal was a highly reputed singer. His brother, G.K. Rajamani, is a violinist of repute.
Dorai also recalled an evening in 1949 when he went to Chennai for the first time to perform in a concert with Carnatic vocalist Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.
The music centre was inaugurated by A R Venkateswaran.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Palakkad – June 29th, 2015
Kerala-based startup Valmeeki has come up with an idea to help first-time writers to publish their works in digital book format online. The startup, founded by three IT students from CUSAT, is mentored by government-owned consultancy Kitco through its ‘My Enterprise’ project.
Offering a royalty of 50-60% for books sold online, Valmeeki is focusing initially on Malayalam and English eBooks. Writings can be uploaded either in MS Word or PageMaker for text and in jpeg for illustration content. Those who lack typing skills can send manuscripts as well. The book will be ready for sale online after the necessary editing in 72 hours.
Former journalist Kuruvilla Chacko is the team leader and Vishnu Unnithan, Vishnu G P and Suhair Zain are the students behind the project.
Currently, 28 books are available on the Valmeeki site www.valmeeki.com. Cyriac Davies, Manging Director, Kitco, said in his press statement: “Eight projects similar to this are being hatched in the incubator of Kitco. Our aim is to hold the hands of the new entrepreneurs and initiate them into the market. An entrepreneurship culture has to be nurtured. Small industrial projects like this are welcome to the Technology Business Incubator at Kitco”.
Valmeeki targets to publish 500 books in 45 days and 1500 books within the next 9 months.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / June 24th, 2015
Turn the page on poor reading habits. Here is a new software that would help people access catalogues of libraries. Moreover, it shows the kind of books the user should read, based on the search history, using artificial intelligence and robotic technology.
“I believe that easy access to books helps cultivate good reading habits,” said Kannur native M C Anoop, the brain behind the software called 99 Library. Anoop, a software engineer, wants to install it for free at all public libraries. The software was released by veteran writer T Padmanabhan in Kannur on Thursday.
Apart from online cataloguing, the software can also maintain a record of issue and return of books and subscription of magazines, newspapers and journals by the user. It also reminds the user of the date of return via email. All one needs to do is to log on to the website of 99 Library (www.99library.com).
“After installing the software at major libraries, a system to exchange books could be developed, which could help improve reading habits of people,” said Anoop, who added that organizations like the library council in the state could play a major role.
P K Baiju, secretary of district library council, said”Though we will not be able to integrate the library networks to exchange books now, the online catalogue will be a great advantage to book lovers,” he said.
A mobile app version of the software was also developed by Anoop. Though the software would be given free of cost to public libraries and individuals, Anoop is planning to sell it to big establishments like universities and its libraries to meet the expense of managing the website. He also plans to make available e-books that are copyright-free on the website soon.
source: http://ww.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / June 19th, 2015
The Thalassery Revenue Reference Library is a treasure trove of history. Thousands of important revenue records of the country and the state, especially Malabar, are stored here. But curiously enough, the government is yet to appoint a librarian to curate these documents.
It is the only reference library under the revenue department outside of the state capital. The valuable books and records here throw light on various historical events of North Malabar; some of the most important ones pertain to the British Raj of the 19th century.
Records not available elsewhere in the state or country are available at the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library. Among them are detailed records of the revenue department, which used to handle functions that are now handled by various departments. But the library, housed in a beautiful building in the Thalassery sub-collector office compound, is now no one’s baby.
Courtesy: Archaeology Department’s oversight
It is the interest in history that A.C. Mathew, a revenue divisional officer here in 1996-2001, had that led to the setting up of the library. Mathew and his colleagues went around revenue offices from Manjeri to Kasaragod on holidays to find these books and documents and bring them to Thalassery, with permission from the department.
In 1992, the archaeological department had collected thousands of documents from Thalassery sub-collector’s office. The documents stored at the library are those that escaped the scrutiny of archaeology officials. The RDO and other employees of the revenue department spent from their own pockets to preserve these documents in plastic covers. Later, following newspaper reports, then minister K.E.Ismail allotted Rs 1 lakh to have those books bounded.
The library building was built on a grant of Rs 3 lakh given as part of the central government’s project to strengthen the revenue department. In between, there was an attempt to move the books and documents to Thiruvananthapuram, but then chief minister E.K.Nayanar intervened and stopped it. The public was also allowed to refer these documents. There are many who have done research here for their doctoral degrees.
In 2010, then revenue minister K.P. Rajendran and home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan visited the library and gave the nod for the creation of a librarian’s post. But even after five years, the post is vacant. Apparently, the officials are still in a search for a revenue department staffer who is also qualified in library science!
From the collection:
There are many valuable documents here related to the freedom struggle, from leaders’ speeches to secret police reports to administrative procedures:
In 1922, those interned in Kannur central jail over the Mappila rebellion had attacked jail wardens with knives and other weapons procured from the jail kitchen. Several were killed in the shooting that followed. The reports on their post-mortems as well as information related to the rebellion not available elsewhere are in the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library.
The properties of those who were banished to Andamans over the rebellion were confiscated. The list goes like this: a sleeping mat, iron rimmed pestles for grounding rice, a red oxen with horns curved forward…
Another document is the order issued by William Logan, the sub-collector here in 1860, to shoot tigers that were terrorising travellers on the way to Ancharakandi.
Also available are documents on encounters with police at Morazha, Thalassery Jawaharghat and Mattannoor; and those about Gandhiji’s fast at Yarvada jail and the Agakhan Palace. Among the documents are the various orders issued by British officials on the steps to be taken if Gandhiji dies during his fast, such as not allowing black flags or even mourning processions.
There are also other interesting documents. Among them is a complaint by local people that a revenue official called Krishnan Nair refusing to accept property tax at the office and instead going to homes to collect it; also he had demanded bribe in the form of cow’s ghee and chicken eggs while visiting homes.
Another document shows that an Anglo-Indian in the service of the British army had entrusted the care of his mentally ill mother to the sub-collector as per the law. The official put her in the care of the Sacred Heart Convent. The letters that followed between the woman’s son, who served in the North-West Frontier Province, and the sub-collector and the convent authorities show the selfishness of man. The son writes to the sub-collector and the convent about how much he earns and asserts that despite saving as much as he could he cannot give more than Rs 2 per month for her care.
Among the thousands of priceless documents available here are Logan’s Malabar Manual, the work called Treaties and Engagement of British Affairs in Malabar published in 1870, the Manual of British Administration in Malabar Presidency published by the Madras government in 1882, a true copy of Magna Carta, the report on the commission that probed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Rowlatt Act.
Will the authorities wake up to ensure this history of north Malabar is preserved before it is claimed by time and neglect for ever?
source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> News> Kerala / by V.K. Jayanthan / Sunday – June 21st, 2015
Ruler with a visionA painting of the erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma XV, and right, his statue at Subhash Parkphotos: The Hindu
The statue of Rama Varma XV, the Maharaja of Cochin, that stands in Subhash Park, now marred by a dash of unimaginative gold paint, is a pointer to forgotten facts and fascinating tales beyond the sparse information on the plaque. A little digging leads to a fascinating phase of history.
The Maharaja, popularly called Rajarshi, and also the Abdicated Highness, ruled Cochin from 1895-1914. Well-versed in English and a Sanskrit scholar, he was a forward-looking ruler who turned Cochin into one of the most progressive of Indian states of the time. The seeds of modern Cochin were sowed during his reign as he initiated permanent reforms in Revenue and Accounts, introduced the Shoranur-Cochin railway line, established the Sanskrit College at Tripunithura, brought in the village panchayat bill and the Tenance Act were among the many innovative schemes he launched.
A booklet published sometime in the 1930s, which is available at Mahatma Library and Reading Room, Tripunithura, provides invaluable information about the construction of the statue. It records that a ‘largely attended public meeting’ held on October 23, 1912, at which representatives from all parts of the States were present it was resolved to celebrate the shashtipurthi or the 60th birthday of the Maharaja on December 25, 1912. It was also decided that the ‘unique event be celebrated everywhere in a fitting manner, that an address of congratulation should be presented to the Highness on that auspicious day and that a suitable memorial be raised in honour of the occasion.’
The birthday was celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The members of the committee, appointed at the public meeting, went to the Hill Palace and presented the Highness an address of congratulation inscribed in a silver book and enclosed in a casket. At a meeting on September 24, 1913, it was decided that a ‘permanent memorial should take the form of a bronze statue of the Highness to be erected on the foreshore of Ernakulam.’ Out of the subscriptions for the occasion a sufficient sum of money remained with the committee for the statue. The Diwan A.R. Banerji who was going to England ‘on furlough’ agreed to get the statue made. He advised the committee to entrust the work to Ernest G. Gillick of Chelsea, a noted British sculptor, whose statue of the Maharaja of Bikaner had impressed Banerji.
In October 1915 the committee entrusted the work to Gillick for 800 pounds. He was also asked to make six plaster of Paris life-size busts of the Highness at an aggregate cost of 100 pounds to be installed at the headquarters of the six Taluks of the State. The work was expected to be completed in a year but the dislocation to the work caused by the War and his assistants joining the army the preparation of the mould itself took a year. When the mould was ready there was a strict embargo laid on all private metal work and no metal casting could be done without the license from the Ministry of Munitions. When the embargo was removed Gillick requested for a revision of the original amount as costs had increased manifold. An additional sum of 500 pounds with a proportional enhanced amount for the busts was made. This entailed an extra expenditure of Rs. 1,000 for the committee.
The work was complete by June 1922 and the following December the statue was received in Cochin. Gillick expressed a wish that a pedestal for the statue be designed and furnished drawings for the same. This work was carried out in Pallavaram stone in Madras by the well-known engineering contractor Diwan Bahadur T. Namberumal Chettu Garu.
Gillick did not have the advantage of seeing the Highness in person and had to work on a few indifferent photographs with some personal instructions from Diwan J.W. Bhore, his wife, and I.N. Menon, the Maharaja’s son. Yet he was able to sculpt a remarkably good likeness of the Highness.
The statue was unveiled by Viscount Goschen of Hawkhurst, Governor of Madras on the afternoon of October 13, 1925 in the presence of Lady Goschen, her daughters, CWE Cotton, Agent to the Governor General, the Elaya Raja of Cochin, and an overflowing crowd of people from all parts of the State. It was the first statue in Cochin.
The entire cost for the statue was raised through public donations. The committee in the booklet published the complete receipts and expenditure incurred and the complete list of subscribers to the Memorial Fund. The total expenditure for the statue was Rs. 33,960, the remaining amount, it was decided, would be utilised for the maintenance of the ornamental garden surrounding the statue.
Interestingly, when the statue was unveiled Rama Varma XV was not the Maharaja. He had abdicated the throne in 1914 for reasons that are still not very clear. Some believe that he had differences with the British over his pro-German politics; others opine that he abdicated due to ill-health, while there are other stories that gained ground. But the abdication did certainly create a furore; it shocked his subjects as such an act was unheard of in the kingdom.
“There is this account that the Maharaja was forced to abdicate after he had hosted a party to the officers of a German cruiser. It is still believed by many that the ship was SMS Emden. This is wrong as Emden never came to Cochin. But there are records that reveal that the Maharaja did host a garden party to the officers of the German cruiser SMS Gneisenau in 1911. This had nothing to do with the abdication,” informs V.N. Venugopal, a history buff.
This was not a political act as the visit of the ship coincided with the arrival of the German crown prince Wilhem to India in December-January1911.Wilhem was a State guest at the Viceregal Lodge and Gneisenau was anchored at the Cochin harbour. The party held at Bolghatty Palace with the approval of the British. However, the detractors of the Highness attempted to hail this as a pro-German stance and use this against him later.
Others point out that there were other reasons, perhaps more serious, that forced the Highness to take this step. Perhaps the most plausible of theories that led to the abdication was a brewing hostility between the Highness and the British government on numerous issues. For instance, letters reveal that the government did not favour many of his requests. His requests to buy a house in Kodaikanal and to give an extension to Diwan P. Rajagopalachari with an enhanced salary were summarily turned down.
“His attempts to effect radical changes in social and religious matters, selling 14 gold caprisons of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple and cutting the allowances of the princes to fund the Shoranur-Cochin railway, and effecting a cut in the rations to the royalty during the time of World War I, gave rise to severe criticism. It is said that the British managed to influence his brothers and relatives, declared that he was mentally and physically weak, forcing him to abdicate,” says Ramabhadran Thampuran, the sixth generation of the Maharaja’s thavazhi or lineage.
Interestingly, the Maharaja had in 1905 expressed his willingness to abdicate. This happened a month after the verdict to excommunicate and banish Kuriyedathu Thatri, in the caste inquisition or smartha vicharam . Most of those banished were rich, influential and well-connected. They spread rumours that the trial was stopped when Thathri was about to give away the name of the Highness. But the government refused to accept his ‘resignation.’ The Governor Lord Oliver Russell Ampthill wrote that there ‘is nobody at present who is fit to succeed you as Raja of Cochin and to govern the state without detriment to the interests of the people.’
But in 1914 there was no such reaction. The government accepted his letter without much fuss. He walked out of the palace with just one trunk containing his and his wife’s clothes. After abdication the Highness stayed on at Ernakulam for some months, while his palace at Thrissur was being built and then shifted to Merry Lodge Palace, the present Kerala Varma College, in 1915. The British also ensured that there was no mention of him in historical references other than a fleeting reference to the ‘king who abdicated.’
Rama Varma made just one parting request to the Government – an allowance for his maintenance during his retired life and a portion of the allowance, ‘not less than Rs. 100 a month’, may be continued after his lifetime to his wife and her children. The Maharaja passed away January 29, 1932. During a chakyarkoothu performance after his abdication, the chakyar while describing a moment when Rama leaves Sita, looked at the ex-Maharaja and asked, ‘ ozhinjatho , ozhippichatho ?’ (abdicated or removed). One never knows for sure.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K. Pradeep / June 20th, 2015
Kuttichetan with his collection of books, mainly novels, at his home in Valya Thovala in Idukki
Idukki :
For octogenarian Kuttichetan, as he is known in his village Valiya Thovala near Kattappana here, books have always been his companions. Till day, he has not let anything come between them, even the truth that he is a school dropout. He does not need a pair of spectacles even at this age to read them. What makes Kuttichetan different from other book lovers is that he has been sharing his vast collection of books at his home with his villagers to enrich their cultural life.
Kuttichetan, aka Mathew C Mutholy, was dismissed from school when he was in Class IV for participating in a strike against C P Ramaswamy Iyer.
However, that never stopped him from having a tryst with letters. He started writing for children’s literary magazines, the likes of ‘Kuttikalude Deepika’, after dropping out from school. His love for books made him a good friend of yesteryear writers, editors and publishers such as Muttathu Varkey, Veloor Krishnankutty, K M Mathew and DC Kizhakkemuri.
Kuttichetan has a publication of his own, ‘Hill Desh,’ the Malayalam fortnightly which he began to publish from Kottayam in 1972. It is still being brought out at his village and has a circulation of 5,000 copies.
Kuttichetan, who worked as a Merchant Navy seaman for years, has seen almost all the countries except China which was not in good terms with India at that time. He also follows many foreign languages viz Italian, Latin, Japanese and German.
“Through books, I got acquainted with many places where I could not go. I want others also to explore unknown things, places, even feelings with the help of books. I find happiness in sharing my books, the only asset of my life which I can share with all,” says Kuttichettan who has the wholehearted support of his 75-year-old wife Mary and eight children.
Kuttichetan is now trying to set up a library in his own panchayat. With his initiative, four libraries were set up at Elikulam, Meloram, Iratayar and Bathel in 1947, 1954, 1963 and 1969 respectively.
However, he feels youngsters refrain from reading books. “May be because they have other means to gain knowledge,” says Kuttichetan who does not watch TV. The man, who finds happiness in sharing his collection with others, is a tad sad as some never returned his precious books.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Sruthi Paruthikad / June 19th, 2015
Forget crowd-funded movies made using professionals; this group of amateurs from a nondescript village in Punalur have made a crowd-funded film by themselves.
The 60-minute-long ‘Thrikonam-The Triangle’, which has been put together by a seemingly random set of people that includes a KSRTC employee, a hospital worker and a computer centre staff, will be screened at Chithranjali Studio at 2.30pm on Sunday.
According to its makers, most of the crew members had absolutely no experience in filmmaking. “We had actually planned to make a 20-minute-long movie, but ended up creating one that lasts an hour,” said Vijesh P Vijayan, the director of Thrigonam. Vijesh is also the scriptwriter of this film which has not even employed a cine-unit.
The making of the film cost around Rs 40,000 and it took around six months to complete the film. “This movie had been our dream for a long time. Despite financial restraints, we could complete it with the support of local residents,” Vijesh said, adding that for many in the crew, it was their first brush with the filmmaking process. The help of technicians was sought only for sound mixing and colouring.
The first show of ‘Thrikonam’, held in May at a Punalur theatre, was well received by the local audience. In fact, it was their encouragement which spurred the makers to take it to other places in the state.
‘Thrigonam’ is a tale on the importance of love and trust in family relationships and has been narrated in the backdrop of the village.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / June 14th, 2015
Fr Paul Arackal who is credited as the first person who took steps to organize the fishermen community in the state, died of age related illness at Chethi near here on Wednesday. He was 80.
His funeral will be held at the St Antony’s church Chennaveli near here at 3pm on Friday.
His mortal remains will be kept at his family home at Chethi from 8am on Friday for the public to pay their last respects.
He was the third son of Joseph and Esther of Arackal house of Perunnoormangalam near Chethi. He was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
He served as the assistant vicar and later also as the vicar of the St Andrews Basilica at Arthunkal.
He also served as the vicar at St Joseph Church at Punnapara, Arogyamatha Church at Saudi near Kochi and St Francis Xavier’s Church at Kandakadavu, and also as the chaplin at St Joseph Church, Thanki.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / April 23rd, 2015
