THE EMIGRANTS' FRIEND

The Australian Consulate-General, Chennai, a year ago honoured Sister Mary Theodore of MITHRA, whom many called ‘the Mother Theresa of South India’ for her work with the disabled. But the old records reveal an earlier Australia-Madras connection in the field of social work. Caroline Chisholm, celebrated as Australia’s pioneer in the field of immigration reform and humanitarian work, particularly women’s welfare, carried out her first social work in Madras.

Arriving in Madras in 1833 as a 25-year-old bride of Archibald Chisholm, a Captain in the Madras Army, Caroline was struck by the boisterous environment of the barracks which she felt was detrimental to the upbringing of the young daughters of the soldiers. She also felt the need for an institution to educate the girls in practical knowledge in addition to academics, which would help them in successfully running a home. So was born the Female School of Industry for daughters of European soldiers.

The Memoirs of Mrs.Chisholm, written in 1852 by Eneas Mackenzie, gives us insights into the functioning of the School.

The chief object of the institution was to “enable such European Soldiers as may feel disposed to remove their children from the Barracks and Putchery Lines(?)”. A house was procured in Black Town, where the children were instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic, needlework and domestic management. Religious instruction and moral conduct were given special attention.

The rules of the institution reflect the strict regimen that was followed. The students were to “get up at an hour so as to be able to take some recreation in the cool of the morning, either on the Beach or on the Esplanade” and had to assemble for prayers and meals at the ringing of the bells. They were not allowed to go into the Bazaar. Male visitors were strictly prohibited, unless specially sanctioned by one of the managers. A child withdrawn from the School was not eligible for re-admission. The girls “ran” the school themselves, with various committees being formed amongst them for the day-to-day activities.

Punishments were set out for various offences. For telling a lie, the student was punished by forfeiting of five tickets and by being kept separate from the other students for a day in the school room so that “visitors may at once know the offender”. A girl found sulky for six hours or a day was punished by a “low diet double the time”, while a girl who refused to assist in the making of a pudding could not enjoy the same.

Despite the seemingly regimental conditions laid down by Caroline Chisholm, a reading of her address to the Matron and Mistresses reveals her concern for the well-being of her wards. She exhorts them to be careful of their conduct, as “children learn more from example than precept and are generally close and faithful imitators of those they reside with.”

The School caught the attention of Sir Frederick Adams, the Governor of Madras, who subscribed 20 pounds towards the cause. In a matter of just five days, Rs.2000 was collected.

In 1838, Captain Chisholm’s health compelled him to leave Madras for a change of climate. This meant the end of Caroline Chisholm’s association with the School that she had founded. Along with their two children, Archibald Jr and William (born 1836 and 1837 respectively), the couple moved to Sydney, where Caroline began the next phase of her remarkable career.

Concerned by the poor state in which immigrants landed in Australia, Caroline began an Emigrants Home in Sydney against all financial odds. Enlisting the help of the Press, she advertised her cause and help began to flow in. She also managed to get an interview with the Governor, Sir George Gipps, who had “heard all sorts of stories about the wild schemes of Mrs. Chisholm.” He was instantly floored by her work and soon official help too was forthcoming. Caroline was so involved in her endeavour that when Archibald rejoined his home regiment in 1840, she stayed back with their children in Australia to continue her work. She travelled far and wide into the interior parts of the country with batches of immigrant girls and placed them under the care and guidance of the families of settlers. Archibald rejoined her in 1845 and in 1846 they set sail for England.

Her work in relation to the colony did not cease despite her relocation to England. Thanks to her continuous petitioning, the Government, at its own cost, reunited two shiploads of children left behind in England with their parents in Australia. Another of her achievements was the establishment of the Family Colonisation Loan Society, which aided easy immigration from England.

Caroline fell ill in 1855 and with her husband and four children, she moved to Victoria. The family finally relocated to London in 1866, where she spent the rest of her life. It was a difficult period, with the strain of all the hectic travel and social life taking a toll on her. She passed away in 1877 in Kensington West and was buried in her home town in Northamptonshire.

She may have died forgotten in England, but Australia did not forget her contribution to the cause of immigration and service to the society. In 1967, she became the first woman other than the Queen to be featured on the 5 dollar bank note. In 1994, she was posthumously awarded the Order of Australia. The administrative centre of the Department of Human Services of the Australian Government in Canberra is named the Caroline Chisholm Centre.

The trail of the institution that she founded in Madras runs cold after her departure to Australia. All available accounts, however, say that it was taken over by the Government and run successfully. Probably it was made a part of the Military Asylums.

This article was published in the latest issue of Madras Musings, the fortnightly dedicated to the city and its heritage.

OLD MADRAS ROAD-4: W.E.SMITH AND CO.

Housed in one of the city’s most handsome buildings in its heyday, the Kardyl Buildings (which stands at the intersection of Mount Road and General Patters Road), this business house was founded by W.E.Smith in 1868. Its line of activity covered a wide range of products in the pharmaceutical sector. Besides being wholesale and manufacturing druggists, it also dealt with various types of surgical, dental and veterinary instruments. An optical department too was part of the establishment. It was established as a limited company in 1904. In 1925, the business was bought over by Spencer and Co.

Opened in 1897, the magnificent facade of the Kardyl Building comprising of minarets, domes and arches was a sight to behold in its prime. However, with the passage of time and multiple changes in ownership (the LIC being the current owner), this building has sadly been left to decay and is a mere shell of its past glory.

OLD MADRAS-3: KESARI KUTEERAM

The Kesari Kuteeram Ayurveda Aushadasala was started in 1900 by Dr.K.N.Kesari, who was born in the Ongole district of Andhra Pradesh in 1875. Moving to Madras when he was eleven years of age, he studied at the Hindu Theological High School. Later, he learnt Ayurveda under the noted practitioner of the times, Pandit D.Gopalacharyulu and after apprenticing under him for a while, set up his own practice.

Medicines such as Lodhra (for gynaecological problems) and Amrita (a herbal restorative) produced under the Kesari Kuteeram banner were renowned for its efficacy. The business shifted to Egmore in 1917, before shifting to Westcott Road in Royapettah in 1937, wherefrom it still functions. It was registered as a private limited company in 1941.

Dr.Kesari was a philanthropist involved in espousing a number of educational and women’s causes. The Andhra Mahila Sabha, Seva Sadan and the Avvai Home were some institutions that benefited by his munificence. He was also involved with the management of a school in Royapettah that would later be renamed after him, the Kesari High School.

OLD MADRAS ROAD-2: OAKES AND CO.

Founded in 1843 as Oakes, Partridge & Co., it was the city’s first department store, selling everything short of a “wife or housekeeper”. Originally founded in Broadway, they moved their headquarters to Mount Road opposite the Government House in 1895, when they reconstituted themselves as a limited liability company. As general merchants, they held a large and varied assortment of all kinds of hard and soft goods, wines and spirits and were representatives of a number of insurance and shipping companies. They also established a cigar factory in 1892. The “Beehive Foundry” was their iron foundry and engineering works division, which successfully executed several projects for the railways, shipping companies and many leading merchants of the Madras Presidency.

In the 1920s, Oakes & Co was taken over by the Spencers, with the “takeover king” J.O.Robinson spearheading the move. The Beehive foundry still survives today as a part of the Beehive Kowtha Group, having been taken over by Kowtha Suryanarayana Rao, the scion of a leading business family from Vijayawada.

OLD MADRAS ROAD-1: T.R.TAWKER AND SONS

Over the last one year or so, I have been writing a monthly column titled "OLD MADRAS ROAD" for Auditor, the in house magazine of the Society of Auditors of which I am a member. Every issue features advertisements of two old Madras business establishments, with around 125 to 150 words on each business.


The "landmark" event of having featured the 25th and 26th businesses (to be published next month) and Sriram sir's persistence have been instrumental in putting these up on the blog.

My thanks to Somerset Playne, my mentor Mr.V.Sriram and Mr.S.Muthiah, all of whom have provided the column with many pieces of information on these businesses, and of course to Mr.P.S.Prabhakar, Editor of Auditor and the entire team for hosting it every month.

T.R.Tawker and Sons were leading diamond merchants of the Madras Presidency in the late 19th and early 20th century. They belonged to the Gujarati community, with their presence in South India dating back to the mid 1600s.

The business was a flourishing one with customers that included Zamindars, royalty and leading musicians. The Official Catalogue of the Exhibition held in connection with the Coronation Durbar in Delhi in 1903 valued their collection displayed on the occasion at Rs.60 Lakhs. Their showroom, designed by the legendary Henry Irwin was next to where the V.G.P building today stands on Mount Road. The New College came up on the site of their residence, “Tawkers Gardens”.

The business ran into financial problems following a payment that did not materialise for an expensive robe studded with diamonds they had made for the VIth Nizam of Hyderabad. It was a huge blow they never really recovered from. They were declared insolvent in January 1925.

THE TRINITY CHAPEL-THEN AND NOW

I came across this lovely line drawing of the Trinity Chapel, Madras done in 1835, 4 years after its founding. This Chapel is located on the busy thoroughfare that is Walltax Road, near the Southern Railway Parcel Booking Office.

The Chapel doesn't look all that different today, going by this recent photograph

The same cannot be said of the surroundings though!!

The picture is courtesy the tireless chronicler Shantaram's blog post on this Chapel, which can be accessed here:

Chennai Daily Photo

TAMIL STAGE AND THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT

Long before the movie era, the huge popularity of the Tamil stage meant that it was an effective medium of mass communication. Stage actors and actresses enjoyed the adulation and following comparable to that enjoyed by top film stars of today. Stars such as S.G.Kittappa and Kumbakonam Balamani were so much sought after that the Government had to operate “Kittappa Special” and “Balamani Special” trains to transport people to places where they performed. Needless to say that with such a huge audience base, Tamil stage became one of the most popular means to promote the freedom movement in Tamil Nadu.

In his book “Viduthalai Poril Tamizh Valarntha Varalaru”, Ma.Po.Sivagnanam writes that the first nationalistic play was “Arya Sabha”, written by K.Gopalachar, a Tamil scholar. Written at the end of the 19th century, this play was based on the work of the Indian National Congress and its achievements in the first 10 years of its existence. Also involved in promoting the cause of freedom through Tamil drama was the famous freedom fighter Subramania Siva who through his troupe, the “Sri Bharata Vilasa Sabha” staged the lives of heroes such as Sivaji Maharaja, Desingurajan etc and invested all the funds gained through the performances in the freedom movement.

One of the earliest artistes to have used the Tamil stage to arouse the patriotic fervour was S.S.Viswanatha Dass. Born on 16th June 1886 in a wealthy family from the Maruthuvar community, Viswanatha Dass came under the tutelage of Sankaradas Swamigal. His first stage performance was at the tender age of eight. Soon he started making a name for himself with his acting prowess, specialising in female roles and the “Rajapart” in Special Dramas.

It was a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi that led to Viswanatha Dass involving himself actively in the freedom struggle. Invited to sing at the meetings of Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to Tuticorin in 1911, Viswanatha Dass was drawn into the freedom movement by Gandhiji who was captivated by his voice. Dass accepted the offer and soon took to wearing khadi. Not only did wear khadi, he also ensured that the character he was playing on stage too wore khadi. It was thus not uncommon to see him act as Lord Muruga in Valli’s stage play dressed in Khadi or as Kovalan in Kannagi’s play wearing khadi. This idea of using the stage to stoke the fire of patriotism gained momentum and soon it became common sight to see characters in plays such as Kovalan, Valli Thirumanam, Harischandra Mayana Kandam being staged by various other troupes too singing patriotic songs on stage. Viswanatha Dass’s own theatre group, the “Shanmukanandam Drama Troupe” travelled to places such as Singapore, Burma, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and spread the message of the movement through his plays and songs.

His active participation in the freedom struggle meant that he was never far away from trouble. It was common occurrence for the police to arrive at the venue where Viswanatha Dass was performing to arrest him as soon as he sang the songs propagating the freedom movement. Legend has it that he was arrested 29 times in the 29 years since he first met Mahatma Gandhi in 1911. It is also said that in one case where he was being tried for treason against the Crown, appearing for him was V.O.Chidambaram, the famous “Kappalottiya Thamizhan”. On another occasion, it was Muthuramalinga Thevar who bailed him out after he was arrested in Ramanathapuram for singing songs arousing the patriotic fervour.

Given his dedication and passion for the stage and the freedom movement, it was in a way fitting that his end came on stage. Dressed as Lord Muruga and seated on the peacock during a performance of “Valli Thirumanam” at the Salt Cotaurs theatre on 31st December 1940, Viswanatha Dass suffered a massive attack and passed away. Huge crowds thronged his funeral procession which wended through Elephant Gate, China Bazaar and Mint Street before ending at the crematorium at around 7 PM. As a mark of tribute to the patriot, the theatre owner refused to allow any plays to be staged there after this incident and later disbanded the stage.

The State Government has converted his house at Thirumangalam in Madurai into a memorial as a mark of respect to a man who played a significant role in arousing the patriotic fervour amongst the people.

Yet another stage personality to have used the far reaching medium of Tamil stage to spread the message of the freedom movement was T.P.Krishnaswamy Pavalar. Born on 29th August 1890, Krishnaswamy Pavalar displayed a flair for languages at an early age and became a multi linguist, studying Sanskrit, Telugu and Hindi besides Tamil and earned proficiency in them. In this regard, he took after his father Ponnuswamy, who had earned a reputation for being a renowned Hindu scholar with immense knowledge of the ancient scriptures. It is interesting to note that Krishnaswamy’s younger brother was the famous Tamil scholar T.P.Meenakshisundaram, who too later went on to attain heights of academic excellence.

It was the arrest of Annie Besant on charges of sedition in 1917 that spurred the immensely patriotic Krishnaswamy Pavalar to quit his job as the Chief Tamil teacher at the Muthialpet Boys School in George Town and join the freedom movement. He became a part of the Indian National Congress and attended all its sessions across India. This brought him into close contact with the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Bala Gangadhara Tilak, C.Rajagopalachari, C.R.Vijayaraghavachariar, T.V.Kalyanasundaram Mudaliar etc.

Krishnaswamy Pavalar’s tryst with stage started with Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar’s Suguna Vilasa Sabha. In his book “Naan Kanda Nadaga Kalaignargal”, Sambanda Mudaliar says that Krishnaswamy Pavalar played the role of Rajapriyan in his magnum opus, Manohara and the role of Sumantra in Sarangadhara. Krishnaswamy however later quit the Sabha, as he felt that the plays they staged were far removed from the issues that were plaguing the society and decided to start his own troupe that would stage plays on social themes such as evils of drinking, untouchability, gambling etc. Thus was born the “Bala Manohara Nataka Sabha” in 1920.

Krishnaswamy Pavalar started the Pavalar Boys Company after closing the Bala Manohara Sabha due to various reasons. The Boys Company performed Pavalar’s patriotic plays such as, “Kadharin Vetri”, “Desiyakodi” and “Pathi Bhakti” across Tamil Nadu, drawing huge crowds wherever it was performed. Needless to say, these plays often ran into controversy.

Pavalar was refused permission to stage Kadharin Vetri at many places by the police, who wanted the scene where Congress workers were beaten up by them removed. Krishnaswamy Pavalar refused and had to face repeated opposition. He thus stopped the staging of the play for a while and wrote to Gandhiji for advice, who wrote back saying that it was best that the scene was cut, as he did not want the promotion of Khadi to be seen as a means of inciting hatred against the British. Pavalar agreed to this and modified the scene. He also renamed the play “Khadar Bhakti” and staged it many times thereafter. Desiyakodi, based on the Nagpur flag riots too ran into controversy.

Krishnaswamy Pavalar’s biggest success was however when his Boys Company was invited to perform at the Wembley Exhibition in 1924-25. To stage plays promoting patriotism in the country from which freedom was being sought required tremendous conviction and hence this was a monumental achievement.

Pavalar also held various positions in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. He also ran a weekly paper called the Desabandhu and a monthly magazine called Bharathi. He also ran a daily “Indraya Samacharam” between 1914 and 1918, which served as the Congress mouthpiece. He passed away on 1st March 1934 after suffering a bout of Tuberculosis. It is indeed sad that he remains virtually unknown today outside of Tamil theatre.

The star couple of S.G.Kittappa and K.B.Sundarambal too were involved with the freedom movement.They were roped in by Congress leader S.Satyamurthi to participate in his political meetings. K.B.Sundarambal was particularly active in the freedom struggle, singing songs at political meetings, campaigning for the Congress and even selling Khadi during the Mylapore festival. The likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Kamaraj were amongst her ardent admirers.

In what was an amazing coincidence, the first bulletin of the All India Radio on 15th August 1947 at 5.30 AM proclaiming the Independence was read out by Poornam Viswanathan, who later became one of Tamil stage’s most renowned personalities.

This article was first published in Namma Chennai, the bilingual monthly dedicated to the city.