Field Marshal KM Cariappa | Indian Defence Research Wing
Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa was instrumental in keeping the Indian Army away from politics and attempted to forge an all-inclusive army.
New Delhi:
Popular discourse on Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa is often limited to placing him as the first ‘Indian’ commander-in-chief of the Indian Army who took over from Roy Butcher on 15 January, 1949, and the second person to have been conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1986 after former Army chief Sam Manekshaw.
There are, however, countless other factors that make him a towering figure in the history of Indian military, all of which is still relevant and important on his 120th birth anniversary, which falls today, 28 January.
Field Marshal Cariappa was not only instrumental in drawing a strong dividing line between the Indian Army and politics but he also helped shape the Army into a highly professional force in its formative stage.
He attempted to do away with caste, creed and other barriers in the Indian Army by raising the Brigade of The Guards — a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army — in 1949. Recruitment to it was open to all regions, castes, creeds and all sections of society.
Military historian and national security analyst Mandeep Singh Bajwa says that such was his stature, that Field Marshal Cariappa interacted directly with then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, not allowing anyone in the bureaucracy or others in the corridors of power to take liberties with him.
“But the crucial fact is that he kept the Indian Army away from any kind of political influence, in contrast to the political nature of the Pakistani Army,” Bajwa told ThePrint. “When Ayub Khan was appointed the commander in chief of the Pakistan Army in 1951, the Pakistan Army clearly had a role in shaping the foreign and domestic policies of the state.”
The military coup that followed in 1958 only testified to the political nature of the Pakistan Army.
“He wanted the Indian Army to be an apolitical entity and that’s the reason he decided against inducting former INA personnel into the Army as they had become political soldiers,” Bajwa adds.
A distinguished career and a run-in with a junior
Field Marshal Cariappa had a distinguished career as the Army chief but before that he led Indian forces on the Western Front during the India-Pakistan War of 1947.
He was instrumental in recapturing Zojila, Drass and Kargil and created a linkup with Leh before the then Indian government decided to abide by an UN-brokered ceasefire on 1 January, 1949.
An illustrative anecdote about his character relates to the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Field Marshal Ayub Khan had served under Cariappa in the British Indian Army. In 1965, Cariappa’s son, Flt. Lt. K.C. “Nanda” Cariappa, was taken prisoner of war by Pakistan after his aircraft was shot down. Khan had offered to release him, but Cariappa made it clear to Khan that his son was not to be given any special treatment.
Bajwa says that the interest of the nation was always first with Cariappa. “He accepted pay and ration cuts for the forces because he felt that it would help the cause of nation building,” he says.
The officer from Coorg
Cariappa was born in Coorg and was educated at the Central High School at Madikeri and the Presidency College in the then Madras state.
He began his Army career under the British and was among those in the first batch of King’s Commissioned Indian Officers at the Daly Cadet College in Indore.
His remarkable career had several firsts.
He was the first Indian officer to undergo the course at the Staff College, Quetta, in 1933. He also saw action in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Burma and became the first Indian officer to be given command of a unit in 1942.
In 1947, Cariappa became the first Indian to be selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberley, UK.
He also oversaw the division of the British Indian Army between India and Pakistan during Partition.
He was chosen over General S.M. Shrinagesh and Lt General Nathu Singh Rathore to head the Indian Army.
After retirement, he served as the Indian high commissioner to Australia and New Zealand.
He died in Bengaluru in 1993 at the age of 94.
The current army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that Field Marshal Cariappa deserves the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> The Print Profile / by Amrita Nayak Dutta / January 28th, 2019
Devotees of Siddaganga Mutt pontiff Shivakumara Swami mourned the demise of the seer, in Kodagu.
Devotees of Siddaganga Mutt are spread across Somwarpet, Kodlipet, Shanthalli, Gudugalale and Shanivarasanthe.
Devotees have been paying condolences in the branches of Siddaganga Mutt in the district.
Many devotees had offered prayers for the recovery of the seer. But it was not to be as the 111-year-old seer, acclaimed as the walking God, passed away on Monday.
People paid their homage to the departed soul by offering flowers to the portrait of the seer at the offices of various organisations and the branches of Siddaganga Mutt.
The branches of the Mutt are situated in Kirokodli, Kallumutt and Urumutt. The seers of these Mutts have left for Tumakuru to take part in the final rites of Shivakumara Swami.
On Monday afternoon, a holiday was declared in the schools run by the Mutt.
The seer had visited the district several times in the past. A devotee recalled that the seer’s last visit to Kodagu was during a programme held at Gudugalale ground.
As a mark of respect, vendors in Somwarpet will observe a voluntary bandh on Tuesday from 3 pm to 5 pm. A condolence meeting will be held at JCI Hall at 3.30 pm. Dignitaries and devotees will take part, said Sharana Sahitya Parishat president Mahesh.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service / Madikeri / January 21st, 2019
Retired Air Marshal K C Cariappa inaugurates the 120th birth anniversary celebrations of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, organised by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat and Kannada and Culture Department, on Old Fort premises in Madikeri on Mon…
The money used for the celebrations of birth anniversary can be used for the welfare of the poor, suggested retired Air Marshal K C Cariappa.
Speaking at the 120th birth anniversary celebrations of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, organised by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat, Kannada and Culture Department at the Old Fort in Madikeri on Monday, he said, “Funds are wasted in the name of garlanding the statue and procession. The only thing that people will remember is the food that was served. My father (K M Cariappa) would not have liked it. Instead, the money can be used for the welfare of the people from next year.”
“For my father, the country came first,” he said.
“Lots of discussions are held in connection with the grant sanctioned by the government for observing birth anniversaries. The deputy commissioner, district in charge minister and MLA can think of utilising the amount for the welfare of the poor,” he added.
K C Cariappa said hundreds of people have lost their houses in the natural calamity. There is a need to take up rehabilitation work at the earliest.
MLC Sunil Subramani said, “The birth anniversary should be organised to create awareness among the youth on the achievements of Field Marshal K M Cariappa.”
“Cariappa could have spent his last days in Paris or London. However, he did not forget his native and came back to Madikeri and spent his last days here,” he said.
Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum President K C Subbaiah said, “The government has been observing the birth anniversary for the last several years. In spite of announcing the grant in the budget, the officials had failed to get the amount for the same.”
Retired Major B A Nanjappa said, “We should instil the patriotic fervour and time sense of K M Cariappa. He had contributed to the growth of the Indian Army.”
Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Lokesh Sagar said, “We should not forget farmers and soldiers of the country.”
In-charge Deputy Commissioner K Lakshmi Priya, Kannada and Culture Department Assistant Director K T Darshan and others were present.
MLAs K G Bopaiah, M P Appacchu Ranjan, MLC Veena Acchaiah, ZP President B A Harish did not take part in the stage programme. They had only garlanded the statue of Field Marshal Cariappa. Even District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh and MP Prathap Simha remained absent.
A procession was held from Cariappa Circle to Old Fort premises. Military band, folk art troupes, NCC, Seva Dal, Scouts and Guides were part of the procession.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service, Madikeri / January 28th, 2019
Indian Ambassador Munu Mahawar presented a number of awards, including a special hockey stick to Naqvi for his contributions to promoting hockey in the Sultanate.
Muscat:
India’s 70th Republic celebrations kicked off in Muscat with a hockey festival held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
S.A.S Naqvi, former technical adviser of the Oman Olympic Committee and organiser of the event, said, “As it will be the 70th Republic Day of India, to commemorate this national event, we held two hockey cups: the Ambassador Cup, in which school teams competed, and the Republic Day of India Cup, where the Oman Veterans Team and expat Team Coorg competed.”
The Chief Guest of the tournament was Indian Ambassador Munu Mahawar, who was joined by Guests of Honour Kiran Asher, Group Managing Director of Al Ansari Group, and Captain Talib Al Wahaibi, Chairman of the Oman Hockey Association.
Team Coorg Muscat claimed victory in the Republic Day Cup, beating the Oman Veterans in a hotly contested match.
Naqvi said, “Team Coorg Muscat won the Republic Day Cup by edging out the Oman Veterans 3-1.” The Ambassador Cup was played in two categories: one for the boys’ teams and one for the girls. The winners of the cup this year were Indian School Al Seeb and Indian School Maabela, who both won their final matches on penalties.
Al Wahaibi said, “It was great and entertaining hockey and I am very grateful to Team Coorg and to the embassy for hosting these events for the youngsters every year. It was great and I really enjoyed it.” According to Naqvi, “The school teams of Al Seeb and Maabela won the Ambassador Cup. Another highlight was the Indian School Wadi Kabir Musical Band, which included 100 boys and girls.”
After the tournament, Mahawar presented a number of awards, including a special hockey stick to Naqvi for his contributions in promoting the game of hockey.
A number of events are being held across Oman in the run-up to Republic Day, culminating in a flag-hoisting event at the Indian Embassy in Muscat.
In an announcement published on Twitter, the embassy said, “Members of the Indian community in Oman are invited to join a flag hoisting ceremony at the embassy premises in celebration of the 70th Republic Day of India. Date & time: 26 January 2019 at 08.30 hrs. Please arrive by 08.15 hrs.”
“Please carry [a] resident card and a copy of the uploaded invitation,” the statement added.
source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Times of Oman / Home / by Times News Service / January 20th, 2019
Long famous for their teas, the hills of North East and West Bengal are embracing coffee.
Reuters
The North East of India, with its rolling hills and verdant plantations, has long been synonymous with tea. Coffee – that dark, moody brew, lightened with milk, and frothed to perfection by rigorous pouring and mixing – largely remained a South Indian phenomenon, with most of the plantations located in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But as the Indian economy opened up, global café chains such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks set up shop and took coffee to various parts of the country. They were followed by entrepreneurs who rode the artisanal wave and introduced Indians to pourovers and Chemex. And now, in the North East too, there is a silent coffee storm brewing, thanks to a handful of cafes, roasters, government-backed guilds and organic farmers, who are betting big on locally-grown coffee.
Beans grown by roasters such as Meghalaya’s Smoky Falls Tribe Coffee, Nagaland’s Été Coffee and Darjeeling Altura (an offshoot of the famous Beatles-inspired hotel Revolver in Darjeeling) are making their way to cafes and restaurants in the region and even being exported to countries like Singapore. Several artisanal coffee shops have mushroomed in towns and cities such as Kohima, Dimapur, Shillong, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Siliguri, Kalimpong, Guwahati, Imphal, Naharlagun, Tawang and Aizawl – all serving up delicious lattes and long blacks, complete with coffee art.
“Our hills are synonymous with tea, [but] we [Indians] know very little about it,” said Prayash Dewan, partner at Darjeeling Altura. “[We drink our] tea adulterated with milk, and the leaves used are mostly CTC [processed using the crush, tear, curl method]. We cannot afford to drink the real Darjeeling tea, nor do we know how to savour it. Coffee is something we can do better with and make it our own, from growing to processing to consumption.”
Photo credit: Darjeeling Altura
Local factors
In the late 1980s, the Coffee Board of India, the governmental organisation tasked with promotion of coffee in the country, began to develop coffee plantations in the North East, partnering with nodal agencies on the ground. But this was soon discontinued. The agencies became defunct and the board began to implement its coffee development scheme directly by offering subsidies and training to farmers. The main goal was to provide livelihood to tribal communities and detract them from pursuing jhum or swidden cultivation.
According to the latest statistics from the Coffee Board in May 2018, out of an 8,013-hectare planted area in the North East, about 3,000 hectares is yielding area, and the rest is in the pre-yielding stage – coffee cherries take three to four years to grow. The Board’s November 2017 report had placed the total planted area at 7,501 hectares, which indicates that 512 hectares were planted with fresh saplings in the region within a few months – a marker of how rapidly local farmers are embracing coffee cultivation. Only 200 metric tonnes are being produced annually – yield levels are still low because the climate and geography of the Himalayas are not as conducive to large-scale coffee cultivation as in the Western Ghats. Also, farmers in the Himalayas still continue to treat coffee as ancillary income as compared to growing pepper, says Y Raghuramulu, director of research, Coffee Board of India.
Photo credit: Pxhere [Creative Commons CC0]
So what has contributed to the growing popularity of coffee growing in the region?
“Regional entrepreneurs have set up roasteries and cafes that promote North East Indian coffee,” said Raghuramulu. “Since the region produces very small quantities for big retail players to make profits, local businesses are key. Earlier, the coffee board would buy the beans from farmers and auction them, bearing the cost of marketing, but now we’re all [for] encouraging local entrepreneurship.”
Another advantage is that coffee from the North East is more or less organic, which appeals to new-age consumers and artisanal roasters alike.
Photo credit: Été Coffee.
Stories of autonomy
In a region that depends heavily on the state for employment, most entrepreneurial stories are about becoming independent. “The philosophy of our company is based on one simple truth: every single person should stand on their own,” said Lichan Humtsoe, founder of Été Coffee. “In our state [Nagaland], nearly 95% of the population depends on the government directly or indirectly, which means if you are not part of the system, you are nowhere. And the number of graduates we are churning out every year is staggering.”
Eté consists of a 19-member team that runs a mobile coffee bar, a roastery, and a brick-and-mortar coffee bar. It has so far sold around 20,000 packs of coffee, provided consultancy services and powered up 13 cafes in Nagaland, Manipur, Delhi and Singapore. Quality control is strict – only 100% organic Arabica is used, sourced from six districts in Nagaland. When they started, an online shopping site was launched for pan-India retail. But as local demand superseded the produce, they were compelled to put it on hold.
Eté had humble beginnings. “I am a science graduate with a Master’s degree in social work, and I worked as a professional wedding photographer as well as with the government,” said the 32-year-old Humtsoe. “It was a self-taught venture when we started in 2016, driven by a passion and love for coffee, and the need to offer alternative employment opportunity. And with more growers coming up, and the government vigorously implementing coffee plantation projects in Nagaland, it is likely to influence the economy of the state.”
Photo credit: Été Coffee.
The Nagaland government has pledged to set up 50,000 hectares of coffee plantations by 2030. Local farmers are being encouraged to give up the traditional practice of Jhum farming, and embrace shade coffee cultivation instead. The two-year-old Nagaland Coffee, a subsidiary of a South African company with a memorandum of understanding for 30 years with the state, deals directly with coffee growers in rural Nagaland. It exports single origin organic coffee to the Persian Gulf and South Africa, and supplies to its coffee shop in Dimapur.
Most of these businesses are possessed by a conscientious zeal. Été Coffee’s tagline is Justice a Cup, while both Darjeeling Altura and the café and bookstore Nerdvana, also in Darjeeling, are champions of sustainable economy.
“Our philosophy is equity – we’d want to earn our share from our coffee while providing fair and equitable shares for the farmers from whom we purchase the cherries, and the few retailers and cafes that have been patronising Darjeeling Altura,” said Dewan. Été earmarks 10% of its earnings for its Employability of Youth Fund that sponsors local youths who are willing to undergo skills training to become employable.
Photo credit: Nerdvana.
Low awareness
One of the more interesting aspects of this trend is that none of the stakeholders held international certifications when they started, and most are driven by a passion for coffee. Darjeeling Altura, for example, started off with a few saplings that yielded good beans. These were processed and roasted in 2014 with a good deal of help from YouTube and a lot of reading.
Ditto for 30-year-old Yugal Sharma, who opened Nerdvana in 2015. “When I started, I didn’t even know how to make a cup of good tea,” said Sharma. “I got a kilo of raw beans from Bijanbari [a small town in Darjeeling], did some research on how it can be roasted in a frying pan, and posted pictures on Instagram. A month later, an entrepreneur came calling, who had just started roasting Darjeeling coffee. And I ended up dedicating a menu to that coffee. Coffee is becoming a niche market, and [Himalayan coffee] will make it special, exclusive and alive.”
The buzz around North Eastern coffee in the country is growing louder because of its unique flavour profile. “The roasting of this coffee is challenging in a good way,” said roast master Mithilesh Vazalwar, who is one of India’s few coffee-quality graders and its first AeroPress champion. “It’s well-rounded, has beautiful acidity and works very well for a smooth flat white or delicate pourover/iced AeroPress. Even cultivation and processing are incredibly methodical in the region. The North East has the potential to become a premier coffee-growing region – [it] just needs more recognition.”
But as with all small businesses, perseverance is key. “Very few people are aware of Darjeeling coffee, though the response has been positive,” said Dewan. “On the other hand, yield is so little that the economies of scale are yet to come into play. Raw costs are very high and most real coffee is sourced from South India at much cheaper rates. So, despite the encouragement, establishments choose to buy the other coffee.”
Photo credit: Été Coffee.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Magazine> Food / by Tania Bhattacharya / January 29th, 2019
Karnataka cricketer and Bigg Boss Kannada Season-3 contestant Neravanda Chetticha Aiyappa, aka N.C. Aiyappa, got hitched to actress Anusha (Anu) Poovamma yesterday. The couple had a typical ‘Kodava’ wedding at Kodava Samaja in the town.
Anusha Poovamma is a well- known actress, who has acted in some Kannada movies. She is currently seen playing the role of ‘Aishwarya’ in the popular Kannada serial ‘Muddulakshmi’. Aiyappa, on the other hand, is the younger brother of popular South Indian actress Prema.
Aiyappa is the son of Neravanda Chetticha and Cauvery of Kumbaladalu village while Anusha is the daughter of Maletira late Chinnappa and Pushpa of Kedamullur village.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 21st, 2019
In an interview to GQ India the doubles player Rohan Bopanna revealed who has been his biggest idol in life. Bopanna picked the six-time Major winner Stefan Edberg not only for his on-court successes but behaviour as well.
“I had the opportunity to meet him, and he was just as I’d imagined him to be”, confessed Bopanna. “Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and I we were playing against Roger Federer and Stanley Wawrinka [in 2014], and Stefan Edberg happened to be coaching Roger Federer.
He happened to be sitting in the box obviously, watching Federer. It was crazy – I couldn’t have imagined playing against some of the best tennis players in the world, and then having your idol watch the match.”
Bopanna also revealed he changed his eating regime in recent times: “I did a food intolerance test in India, which showed that my yeast intolerance was very high. So I’ve completely stopped having bread; it’s been about two years now.
Perhaps before a match, I’ll have fish and white rice, which gives me the energy I need. While playing, I’ll have a banana and you need electrolytes and water of course – especially when it’s hot. Otherwise, I keep things as simple as possible.
Fitness wise, I travel with my trainer, and that’s made a huge difference in terms of stretching at the right time, cooling down – especially as you get older and recovery becomes more important.”
source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org / Tennis World / Home> Tennis News> Roger Federer / by Luigi Gatto / January 28th, 2019
Chendrimada Sushila Subramani seen lighting the lamp to inaugurate the cultural competitions organised by Shree Kaveri Kodagu Mahila Sangha at Kodagu Sahakara Sangha in Jayalakshmipuram here yesterday as Chendanda Nirmala Subramani, Mahila Sangha Secretary; Ponjanda Lovely Appaiah, Vice-President; Moovera Bollamma Kuttappa, President; Ittira Dotti Cariappa, Advisor-cum-Founder-President and Machanda Jaya Muthappa, Treasurer, look on.
Sangha members and their children took part in various cultural competitions like Dance, Drawing, Singing, Kodava Paat and Pick-and-Speak.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / January 21st, 2019
Kodandera Madappa Cariappa is a man known for many firsts, but he is best remembered as the legend who made the Indian Army truly Indian. Perhaps this is why people feel the time has come to honour the late Field Marshal with the ‘Bharat Ratna.’
This morning too, the demand for ‘Bharat Ratna’ was raised by Mysureans on the occasion of 120th birth anniversary celebrations of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa. The event was marked by showering of flower petals on the bust and garlanding of a huge portrait of the late Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces at Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle (Hotel Metropole Circle) on JLB Road.
Speaking on the occasion, former Mayor M.J. Ravikumar said that when he was the Mayor a few years ago, he took measures for installation of Cariappa’s bust at the Circle following a demand from Kodava Samaja.
Stating that both Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Siddaganga Seer late Dr. Sri Shivakumara Swamiji very much deserved ‘Bharat Ratna,’ he said that the Union Government must consider this demand of the people.
Former Vice-President of Mysuru Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club N.M. Thimmaiah said that he had written to the MCC and the Government demanding the installation of a life-size statue of the great warrior at the Circle in city. Recalling the achievements of Cariappa as Army Chief, he said Cariappa deserved ‘Bharat Ratna’ for his courage, bravery and valour.
Maj. Gen. C.K. Karumbaya (retd.), Corporators Prameela and M.U. Subbaiah, former Mayor H.N. Srikantaiah, Kodava Samaja Vice-President Prof. K.C. Belliappa, Secretary M.M Ponnappa, Cultural and Sports Club President M.P. Nanaiah and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 28th, 2019
In Coorg, regional cuisines bear the imprint of a long-gone era.
A whiff of the raj: Roast lamb.
I’m not a fan of Anglo-Indian cooking (nor of the omnipresent curry powder that got dunked into its gloopy, bland sauces). Yet, the diverse ways in which English tastes combined with regional ingredients and cooking styles across India during the Raj continue to fascinate me.
On a recent visit to Coorg, I found myself wondering what it must have been like for the British sahibs and memsahibs as they found themselves amidst the seclusion of its forested hills. Watching the mists drift across the plantations of Siddapur in south Coorg, Karnataka, I tried to imagine how these foreigners recreated a taste of British cities and shires in this isolated station, where estates were often 20 to 30 miles apart.
Gazatteer of Coorg, first published in 1870, notes that following the opening of Mercara Estate in 1854 by one Mr Fowler, the first European planter, dozens of extensive estates sprang up in Coorg within a short time. “Here seemed to have been discovered the Eldorado of honest industry in a delightful climate and home-like country,” it notes.
Yet “home-like country” it wasn’t. As the British initiated the planting of coffee in a big way in Coorg, Hassan and Chikmagalur, they were confronted by brutal heat, unfamiliar customs, frightening wild animals, blood-sucking leeches and a lengthy monsoon that could stretch up to six months.
Bread pudding at the Evolve Back Chikkana Halli Estate in Siddapur.
But the interplay between diverse people, larders and culinary traditions led to the development of a distinct culture on the plantations. A lively snapshot of the time appears in Cathleen Ballantyne’s account of plantation life, Plenty Salaams, first published in 1954. Ballantyne arrived in Coorg during the 1880s for a visit and stayed with her husband George, a planter, for 50 years.
Describing the thrum of daily life, Ballantyne writes, “On a coffee estate, the day began early. At 6.30, one was wakened by the clanging of the estate bell, which summoned coolies to muster-roll before starting their day’s work…Then at 7, out on the verandah, chhota hazri — a substantial meal of porridge, eggs and bacon, coffee and fruit. For the dorai (the master), there came the morning round of the estate. For the wife, the walk, or ride, before engaging in the usual household routine, such as the ordering of meals, the weighing out of all the commodities required for the day, and, by using a lactometer, finding out that the milk had not been watered…”
Celebrations served to break the monotony and hardship of plantation life, and Ballantyne’s droll account is replete with instances of tomfoolery and merry-making during parties and picnics. My favourite is a description of a slapstick food fight at a picnic on the banks of Cauvery, where “rolls, potatoes, curry puffs and other eatables were flung about with great dexterity.” The beloved foods of the foreigners came out during these outings. Ballantyne mentions “lobster salad, chicken in aspic, cold saddle of mutton, curry puffs (pastry enclosing curried mince), an assortment of cold sweets”. Milk punch and whiskey flowed, heightening the attractions of these riotous, unending rounds of feasting.
Evolve Back Chikkana Halli Estate in Siddapur, my perch during this visit, has devoted some time to researching this slice of life. Over a meal of pepper water, mutton-ball curry, delicate coconut rice, and pan-roasted roast chicken, chef Naveen Alvares talked about the months of research that led to the planter’s menu currently served at their restaurant Peppercorn. Disappointed with their initial recces of Anglo-Indian restaurants in Bengaluru, Alvares and his team took the help of late Ranee Vijaya Kuttaiah, the author of the highly regarded Cuisine from Coorg, to master colonial-era planters’ dishes. The roast chicken, for instance, is a simple recipe that requires chicken to be marinated with salt, pepper and vinegar, caramelised with a little sugar and then cooked in its own juices in the pan.
No Anglo-Indians remain in Coorg today. In the absence of first-hand testimonies and experiences, reminiscence and nostalgia play a vital role in forming a clearer picture of life in those times. Vivian Rodrigues, whose family has owned coffee and pepper plantations in Pollibetta in Coorg and Saklespur in Hassan district for over a century, painted a vivid picture of the clubs that sprung up during the 19th century as places for the planters and their wives to relax and socialise. “The bar was the most important fixture in the club and the choicest single malts and gin were stocked. The cuisine was obviously British. Local cooks became butlers and were rechristened with British names that were easy to pronounce. We had an Anthony from Ooty who used to be Arokiaswamy!” he recounts.
Bridget White-Kumar, author of several books on Anglo-Indian cooking, says, “The British and Europeans in Coorg ate largely what they ate back home. Yet, over time, some regional influences came into their cuisine and they began eating rice with a curry made with minimal spices.” Various blends of curry powder were concocted, including Bolst’s hot curry powder, which became an instant rage.
Though locals never quite took to curry powder, they inherited an abiding love for baking from the British, and recipes of cakes dating back to the colonial times continue to be religiously followed in homes, clubs and bakeries. “It’s typical in Coorg to come home to a freshly baked cake in the evening,” says Muthu Bopanna, the owner of coffee plantations and a heritage homestay in Madikeri.
Roasts and barbecues are just as beloved. Vancouver-based blogger Shalini Nagappa cherishes her childhood memory of a Christmas spent feasting on roast turkey at her uncle’s farm near Kushalnagar. “What a moment of high excitement it was! And while it was not the exaggeratedly plump, meltingly tender, cartoon bird of my dreams, my uncle’s penchant for adding ‘more butter’, a la Julia Child made it divine,” she writes in her blog, A Cookery Year in Coorg.
After India gained independence in 1947, British planters sold their estates to Kodavas and other south Indians. The food served on these estates today tends to be a mix of traditional Kodava, Mangalorean, Bunt, Lingayat and Chettiar cuisine — depending on the ownership — and their personal eclectic influences.
Former journalist David Housego, writing about the cooking of the Raj, observed that in contrast to the Portuguese, who left a strong culinary footprint on the cuisine of former colonies like Goa, the British largely ignored the rich regional cuisines of India. As a result, no truly great hybrid dishes came out of this East-West encounter. This is evident in Coorg, where the local cuisine remains largely unaffected by British influence. Yet, one still gets a whiff of the time when the intermingling of British, Irish, European and Indian culinary accents created a unique Anglo-Indian aroma across the coffee estates, planters’ clubs and dak bungalows of Coorg.
This article appeared in print withe headline ‘Curry Puff Days’
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Eye / by Sona Bahadur / January 20th, 2019
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