Seminar, biopic release to mark the centenary year of scholar Dr. I.M. Muthanna
Bengaluru:
Kodagu’s most acclaimed poet, Appachcha Kavi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations will be held in New Delhi.
This decision was taken by members of Kendra Sahitya Academy, which had convened a meeting recently at its regional office in Bengaluru under the Chairmanship of Kannada writer Dr. Chandrashekar Kambar.
The Academy, in association with Delhi Karnataka Sangha, Delhi Kodava Samaja and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), will jointly organise the 150th birth anniversary celebration of Appachcha Kavi.
On this occasion, to mark the centenary year of Dr. I.M. Muthanna, noted Indian writer and scholar, a seminar will be held and a biopic on the great writer will also be released.
Dr. I.M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator who wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava languages and had translated four plays of Appachcha Kavi to Kannada.
During the meeting, Academy member submitted a proposal to publish the biopic and plays of Dr. Muthanna.
Academy Convenors Dr. Siddalingaiah, Dr. Sarooj Katkar, Prof. H.S. Shivaprakash and others were present at the meeting.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 29th, 2020
The days of March 1841 spent at Chikka Veerarajendra’s modest haveli in Benares were glazed thick with warmth, summer mangoes, and the colored rice flour that danced in the air in celebration of Holi. And for the first time in a long time, the unseated Rajah of Coorg felt a semblance of pride, after a degrading conflict with the British, while observing his favorite daughter Gowramma gurgling in the courtyard. As the mansion’s entrance gates unexpectedly rusted open, interrupting festivities, Veerarajendra was reconnected with Alamanda Somayya, an old ally to his family, who came with word of anglicized Coorg. When introduced to six-month old Gowramma, Somayya studied her tiny paint-smudged palms, prophesizing that ‘this Rajkumari will one day cross the seas’.
Although Princess Victoria Gowramma and her father were the first Indians to reach British turf in 1852, her somewhat diasporic narrative is little-known, forgotten within a bulky history of colonisation and foreign affairs. Perhaps the most articulate source on the royal is C.P. Belliapa’s novel Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg, which constructs a meticulous timeline that draws on the prospective importance she held in Britain’s colonial system and the Indian religious landscape.
Being christened as the ‘lost princess’ seems fitting in respect to Gowramma’s position in contemporary Kodagu cultural dialogue – she bears our name, a rather ambiguous notability, and a beauty considered ‘exotic’ by outsiders, but upon closer exploration, was alienated from her people and heritage having been raised under the wing of Queen Victoria, and may even be considered a paradigm of what the British hoped for India.
From Benares To Britain
Gowramma’s journey begins with her father’s loss of Kodagu to the East India Company, leaving him bitter and distrusting of the ferenghis (foreigners). The pastoral simplicity of a kingdom fleshed out by generations of his ancestors now seemed fragile in the hands of the British. After being exiled to Benares, Veerarajendra began nurturing a pipe dream of his own, wherein he could restore himself to affluence by filing a legal suit against the East India Company, which would require his physical presence in London.
PERSISTENT COLOURISM SEALED GOWRAMMA’S FUTURE AS A BRITISH ROYAL – A FAIR COMPLEXION DISTINGUISHED HER FROM VEERARAJENDRA’S OTHER CHILDREN.
With the help of British doctor and close friend Dr. William Jeaffreson, Veerarajendra began crafting a trip to world’s most powerful social, economic, and technological center, under the desirable pretense of enabling a Christian education for his daughter. According to the Illustrated London News report in July 1852, persistent colourism sealed Gowramma’s future as a British royal – a fair complexion distinguished her from Veerarajendra’s other children, seeing as he’d dubbed her a “pigeon among crows”.
Image Source: Wikiwand
Grooming Of The Princess
Before their arrival, Dr. Jeaffreson offered a piece of advice to an anxious Veerarajendra saying, “Don’t be too hasty in taking up the legal issue on reaching London. Wait until Gowramma is well accepted by British society. A favorable public opinion is very important. I have received intelligence that the queen herself is eager to meet you and your daughter”. Governor-General at the time, Lord Dalhousie, also hoped for a publicised conversion of Princess Gowramma, which could possibly rescue the British regime’s stagnating reputation among its people.
Another motivating factor was young, recently-deposed Maharaja of Punjab Duleep Singh, who had expressed compliance in converting to Christianity after his state was annexed. The belief that a future marital alliance between Gowramma and Singh, two Christian Indian royals, could be a tool for proselytising the Indian population, had already begun gaining momentum within the monarchy. According to Belliappa, the Logins, guardians to Duleep Singh, were champions of this mentality, strongly believing in the European responsibility to spread the word of the Bible among pagan worshippers of India.
Queen Victoria, a spokeswoman for familial values, industrialisation, and social welfare herself, showed interest in Princess Gowramma’s story of passage from one of the humblest provinces of the British colony in India. Gowramma’s baptism on 30th June 1852 is remembered as an elegant occasion in which the young princess showed poise and grace.
On that day, Queen Victoria gifted Gowramma with her name, and a leather-bound bible with gold embellishments. She then entrusted the newly-christened Princess Victoria to the care of Major and Mrs. Drummond, who were to groom her in Western thought. From learning curtsying to using cutlery, Victoria grew into English ideals, and her consequent popularity in social circles and overall joie de vivre has been heavily-recorded.
Final Years
Overtime, the prospect of marriage between Duleep Singh and Victoria Gowramma began to fall out of the works, due to a lack of attraction, although they remained close friends. It was at this point in Gowramma’s timeline that royal disillusionment began to swell, as she realised her nights spent at royal balls with glasses of wine and attractive Englishmen weren’t the answer to what she wanted: a family and home to call her own.
SHE REALISED HER NIGHTS SPENT AT ROYAL BALLS WITH GLASSES OF WINE AND ATTRACTIVE ENGLISHMEN WEREN’T THE ANSWER TO WHAT SHE WANTED.
An obstacle that came in the way of Gowramma and eligible suitors was actually her father, who’d begun to earn himself the reputation of an ‘old reprobate’ in high society. It’s reasonable to conclude that Victoria’s consistent fear of upsetting the queen and consort contributed to her sad lack of autonomy, and also a naïve willingness. She ultimately married the nearly fifty-year-old Colonel Campbell, a charming friend of Duleep Singh, who was mostly attracted to her fine jewelry and 400-pound sterling allowance.
On 2nd July 1861, Gowramma gave birth to a baby girl, christened Edith Victoria Gowramma Campbell. However, this was only followed by a life of isolation in London, as Campbell was an indifferent husband, often only making contact to ask her for money – but Gowramma was not without great strength, and kept a brave face as a single mother.
In March 1864, Princess Victoria Gowramma succumbed to tuberculosis, just a few months before her 23rd birthday. Unsurprisingly, it’s suspected that Campbell disappeared shortly after her death, but not without her jewels.
Ultimately, Duleep Singh and Victoria Gowramma fell short of the grand scheme envisioned by the queen and British royalty. Perhaps India’s religious history would have shifted if a successful marriage between the Christian Indians had been fulfilled, as historians have realised the greater importance of religious propaganda as a tool of control for those colonised, rather than plain force. In respect to Gowramma herself, it’s impossible to trace her intricate lifetime of tragedy and romance without understanding the people and politics that governed her fate and sense of self.
References
1.Victoria Gowramma – The Lost Princess of Coorg by C.P. Belliappa
2. The Hindu
3. Coorg Jewellry
4. Evolve Back
5. Uk Asian
Featured Image Source: UK Asian
source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism In India – FII / Home> History / by Anoushka / December 12th, 2018
Under a Kodagu police programme, nearly 150 women have been trained in five batches over the last year on 0.22 rifle.
Women undergoing rifle training in Kodagu’s Gonikoppal village. | Photo: By special arrangement
Bengaluru:
Women in Kodagu are up in arms, literally.
On Sunday, a group of women completed a five-day licensed firearm training programme in the southern Karnataka district under police supervision as a means to self-defence — against violent attacks and a tiger menace.
Under a Kodagu police people-interaction programme, nearly 150 women have been trained in five batches over the last year after the district’s superintendent of police, Suman Pennekar, took charge in December 2018.
The move has come as a response to the rising crime rate in the coffee plantation region, claim the women. ThePrint couldn’t independently verify this claim. However, several reports have emerged of murders and tiger attacks in the past few months.
Pennekar told ThePrint the training has been imparted to ensure that those who possess weapons feel accountable and not become “trigger happy”. The region is dominated by Kodavas — as people of Kodagu are called — a martial race that is one of the few tribes in the country allowed to possess guns without license.
These camps have so far been held across different talukas in Kodagu. The latest one took place at a centre in Gonikoppal village, where these women, dressed in white, learnt to aim and fire.
Women are trained on 0.22 rifle under the Civilians Rifle Training programme, as it is officially called.
Police personnel with women at a rifle training camp in Kodagu’s Gonikoppal village. | Photo: By special arrangement
For self-defence
Bharathi Bopanna enrolled herself for the programme after she received a text on messaging service WhatsApp about the latest camp. She decided it was important for her to know how to use family-owned arms to not just keep herself safe but also to adhere to the Kodava tradition.
In the district famous for its sprawling coffee plantations, Bopanna said there have been instances of attacks on women while they were alone at home during coffee planting and plucking seasons.
“Crime against women has increased, especially those who are home alone. I decided to learn how to operate a gun so that I can use it to defend myself if need be,” Bharathi said.
“One should be able to defend oneself. When the men in the house are not there, there may be criminals who may try to attack us. We should be prepared. When they hear that we are all trained in using a gun, they will think twice before committing a crime.”
A.B. Aarthi, who underwent the same training along with her 20-year-old daughter, said, “I took it up for my personal protection.
“We would wake up early and travel 25 km from our home to Gonikoppal to train. Many of us in Kodagu live in remote areas and sometimes women have to travel alone through isolated places. If something happens, there may be nobody to rescue us, so if we are armed, we will feel safer,” she said.
Apart from rigorous physical training, the women were also tested for their weapons skills at the end of the session.
“I managed to come third, despite handling a weapon for the first time,” said Bopanna while recommending that all women in the country should undergo the arms training.
‘Great responsibility’
Kodagu SP Pennekar told ThePrint that the civilian training programme was initiated in 1962, but the district hadn’t been conducting it regularly.
After she took over, Pennekar made an effort to get people from Kodagu to train as they all possess weapons. Over the year, enrolment has gone up in the camps.
She said many Kodavas have huge landholdings and these rifles help them keep trespassers at bay.
The training is to use the weapon judiciously — not to shoot but to deter, she said.
However, Pennekar has a word of caution for all.
“They should understand that along with handling a weapon comes a great responsibility. They should realise that this training is being given to ensure they understand why they have been given a special privilege and that they should learn to use it responsibly,” said Pennekar.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India / by Rohini Swamy / January 01st, 2020
CM to lay foundation stone for 450-bed hospital block Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), which became operational four years ago in Madikeri, is being expanded with the foundation stone for a 450-bed hospital attached to the institute to be laid on Monday.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will give a start to the construction on the existing teaching hospital premises. Once the 450-hospital facility (300-bed unit and 150-bed unit) is ready in about two years, the number of beds for healthcare services will rise to 750 as the existing hospital has 300 beds.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Medical Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan and Minister in-charge of Kodagu V. Somanna will be present. MLA Appachu Ranjan addressed presspersons at Madikeri on Saturday to present details about the hospital project.
KIMS has an intake of 150 seats and currently 600 students are pursuing a medical degree and post-graduate courses. In 2016, the district hospital was converted into the teaching hospital of KIMS and it was in need of an upgrade in complying with the norms of the Medical Council of India. Accordingly, the hospital is now being expanded with additional 450 beds at a cost of ₹100 crore. The construction for 300 beds will be take place on the existing hospital premises while the 150-bed facility will come up on the premises of women and children’s hospital.
Cariappa K.B., Dean and Director, KIMS, told The Hindu that the expansion of the hospital will benefit the people of Kodagu as well as neighbouring taluks since the outpatient load had risen to 900 from 200 in three years. Multispeciality services will be convenient for those looking to Mysuru and other places for those services as Madikeri has only a few hospitals and nursing homes under private ownership.
Radiology department
On an average, 75% of beds are occupied in the hospital and the expansion will give rise to adding up of more speciality departments, he added. “We are in need of manpower for the radiology department as the hospital is equipped with ultrasound and CT scan equipment,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – January 26th, 2020
Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, is celebrating the 121st birth anniversary of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa on Jan. 28 at 8.30 am at the Circle named after him in city (previously Metropole Circle).
The members will offer floral tribute to the bust of Field Marshal.
The Kodavas residing in city, Defence personnel and general public are requested to join in large numbers, according to a press release from Samaja President K.M. Belliappa.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / January 25th, 2020
Seven women who collected textiles during the 20th century are the focus of this exhibition, which considers how the collections they formed – ranging from Balkan costumes to South Asian saris – helped to assert the status of these materials as works of art. Find out more from Two Temple Place’s website.
Preview the exhibition below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here
The artist and writer Edith Durham (1863–1944) travelled widely across the Balkans in early 20th century, becoming renowned for her anthropological reports on life in Serbia, Albania and Kosovo. In 1935, her collection of Balkan costume and jewellery – including this giubba, a traditional robe worn by Albanian women – was donated in 1935 to the Bankfield Museum in Halifax, where it remains to this day.
Brocade shoe without clog (1735–45), unknown maker. Photo: John Chase Photography/The Olive Matthews Collection, Chertsey Museum
Drawn to historic fashion from a young age, Olive Matthews built up a significant collection of more than 4,000 objects over the course of her lifetime – being careful always to stick to a budget of no more than £5 per item. She focused particularly on delicate needlework and embroidery – as seen on this shoe of brocaded silk from the 18th century.
Along with her friend Margaret Lambert, Enid Marx amassed a major collection of English folk art after 1932, although by this time she was already a renowned textile artist in her own right, having studied alongside Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden at the Royal College of Art in the 1920s. In the exhibition, examples of her own work – such as this repeating pattern, reminiscent of animal hide – are on show alongside objects from her collection.
From 1985–98, Nima Poovaya-Smith was senior keeper of international arts at Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, during which time she established the transcultural gallery at Cartwright Hall. She built up a collection at the gallery that reflected Bradford’s history of textile manufacture and explored the influence on it of fabrics from across the world – in particular southern Asia. This colourful cloth is an example of phulkari (‘floral work’ in Punjabi), so-called because of the embroidered patterns that extend over every inch of the fabric.
Event website
source: http://www.apollo-magazine.com / Apollo / Home> Whats On / January 25th – April 19th, 2020
The body of Cheeranda Rachan Bopanna (22), a soldier who was undergoing training at the Indian Army camp in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was found hanging in a guest house in Pune yesterday.
It is said that Rachan Bopanna, son of Cheeranda P. Somaiah and Bharati and a native of Mugutageri village in Virajpet, was in his last phase of training.
On Sunday, he availed an ‘out pass’ to come to his native but instead went to the guest house in Pune. A death note was also found at the scene, the Police said.
Ponnampet Ex-Servicemen Association President Ainanda Mandanna contacted the Army officials when he came to know about the incident. The Army officials told Mandanna that it had been decided to perform the last rites of Rachan at the Army camp in Jabalpur as the body was rapidly decomposing and not in a condition to be transported to his native place.
Rachan’s family member Cheeranda Kanda Subbaiah, Ponnampet Ex-Servicemen Association President Ainanda Mandanna and Rachan’s sister have flown to Jabalpur. Rachan’s parents could not attend the funeral, owing to poor health.
Family sources said that Rachan had a passion for working in the Defence Force and soon after his studies, he enrolled into the Army.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 24th, 2020
Three cadets from 19 KAR NCC Battalion (Coorg Battalion) in Kodagu of Karnataka-Goa Directorate have been selected for the Annual Republic Day (R-Day) Parade in New Delhi on Jan. 26. They will perform in the NCC contingent that will march through the Rajpath greeting dignitaries including President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The cadets are Junior Under Officer M.J. Puneeth, a Second B.Com student from Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College, Madikeri. He is the son of M.L. Jagadeesh and T.M. Chandramani. Puneeth hails from Manjoor village in Sakleshpur of Hassan. Puneeth will take part in Prime Minister’s Rally.
The Republic Day celebration is a three day extravaganza and after this celebration at India Gate, on Jan. 27, a Prime Minister’s Rally is held by a crème of NCC cadets displaying various breathtaking performances and drill.
The other cadet is Sergeant V.E. Abhishek, a Second PUC student from Pre-University College, Murnad. He is the son of V.S. Eshwar and V.E. Asha Kumari of Murnad village. He will take part in all India cultural show.
The third candidate from Coorg Battalion to participate in the prestigious parade is Codanda Nila Somanna. She is a Junior Under Officer and will represent the cultural team and is taking part in youth exchange programme.
She is the head girl of Coorg Public School, Gonikoppa and is the only girl cadet from Kodagu to reach New Delhi this year. She is the daughter of Codanda Sampan Somanna and Rashmi from Balele village.
Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysuru
From Mysuru, cadets Pragyan Sharma, Pranav Teja Shankar and Krrish Garla of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Yadavagiri, are representing the Karnataka and Goa Directorate in New Delhi. They will attend the Prime Minister’s rally. These three are the only cadets from Junior Division Army Wing from Mysuru Group who are attending the R-Day Camp.
National Public School, Mysuru
Sergeant Kongetira Anagha Iyappa will also represent Karnataka and Goa Directorate at the Republic Day Parade. She is from the Junior Wing NCC, Mysore Group and is part of the Cultural Team competing at Delhi. She is a Class 9 student from National Public School (NPS), Mysuru and the youngest girl cadet in the Karnataka-Goa Contingent. She is the daughter of Col. Kongetira C. Iyappa and Nandini Iyappa.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 24th, 2020
KM Cariappa is a man known for many firsts, but most importantly, he is known as the man who took charge of the Indian Army from its last British Commander in Chief, General Sir Roy Bucher. Born on January 28, 1899, in Coorg, Cariappa completed his education at Central High School at Madikeri and went on to study at the Presidency College in Madras.
However, Cariappa began his Army stint under the British and was among the few selected for the first batch of KCIOs (King’s Commissioned Indian Officers) at the Daly Cadet College in Indore and was commissioned in the Carnatic Infantry. He was in active service with the 37 (Prince of Wales) Dogra in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and then posted to the 2nd Rajput Light Infantry (Queen Victoria’s Own). Cariappa went on to become the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College, Quetta in 1933. In 1946, he got promoted as the Brigadier of the Frontier Brigade Group.
By Indian independence, Cariappa saw action in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Burma and became the first Indian Officer to be given command of a unit in 1942. He went on to receive many awards and accolades in his career spanning three decades. He received the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his role in Burma against the Japanese during the Second World War.
In 1947, Cariappa became the first Indian to be selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK. His role during the Partition is rarely mentioned, during which he oversaw the division of the Army. Cariappa also led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pak War of 1947 and successfully recaptured Zojila, Drass and Kargil and established a linkup with Leh.
On January 15, 1949, Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He held the five-star rank of field marshal, the highest honour in the Indian Army, which Sam Manekshaw is the only other officer to have held.
source: http://www.defenceaviationpost.com / Defence Aviation Post / Home> Defence> Indian Army / source: Indian Express / January 20th, 2020
Ankitha Suresh has been selected as Assistant National Coach by Hockey India for the Indian Senior Women’s Hockey Team. She is now a member of coaching staff who is training senior hockey players at the ongoing National Coaching Camp till Jan. 21.
She will represent India as Assistant Coach and will be a part of the Indian National Hockey team (Senior Women’s Hockey) that will leave for New Zealand on Jan. 22. The New Zealand tour will begin from Jan. 23 till Feb. 6. Ankitha will be a part of the 26-member team headed by Chief Coach Sojero Marjine and Analytical Coach Janneke Schopman. 20 players are also part of the team.
Daughter of B.A. Suresh and B.S. Dharmavathi, residents of Madikeri, Honnampadi Ankitha Suresh started her sports career as an athlete and had won medals in 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter running races in national levels. While studying in Junior College in Madikeri, she stumbled upon hockey and her passion for the sport grew after she joined SAI Hockey Hostel in Madikeri for training.
She has represented Karnataka in the National level five times (twice in senior level and thrice in junior level). In the University-level (Mangalore University), she has won three Gold medals and two Bronze (Annamalai University). She has participated in All India Inter-University Tournaments five times.
Ankitha also has the distinction of being the one among the five women from Karnataka who have been selected for the Level-3 coaching course offered by Hockey India as well as only Level-2 Technical Official to be selected from India and from Karnataka for the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) World Cup Women’s Hockey.
She is currently working as hockey coach in Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) at Ponnampet Sports Hostel and will join as national coach. A post-graduate diploma holder in e-Finance and Gym Instruction, she holds Masters in Commerce and has a Diploma in Sports Coaching (National Institute of Sports).
“N. Muthu Kumar, my coach in SAI Hockey Hostel, Madikeri, is my role model and inspiration,” she fondly says and feels grateful for all the coaches that she has worked with throughout her career. She specially mentions the name of Ponachanna Srinivas who taught her the game of hockey.
“Hockey Karnataka supported me to do the course (Hockey India Level-1, Level-2 and FIH Level-1 and 2 and now I am promoted to do FIH Level-3) conducted by Hockey India and FIH Hockey Academy,” she adds.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / January 20th, 2020
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