Dutch history :Historian brings in Chennai to life

The sombre surrounds of the Tamil Nadu Archives are at home with history, their halls accustomed to quiet scholarship. But on Tuesday afternoon, history leaped off the pages as Dr Bauke van der Pol, Dutch cultural anthropologist, introduced a full house to his recent book, The Dutch East India Company in India. His scholarship studies the trade links between the Netherlands and India, beginning with the 16th century and petering out in the 19th. 

It was the archives' first public address after four years, the institution being a vital resource for Dr Pol's research. In fact it was the Dutch embassy that helped the state archives preserve and digitize its Dutch papers, which can be accessed on the website of the National Archives of Netherlands, albeit in Dutch. 
Back in Egmore, Dr Pol's presentation opened with a monogram of The United Dutch East India Company, whose acronym in Dutch (VOC) is said to be the oldest trademark of a multinational. Evidence of the trademark can be found across India, in the still-standing monuments of former Dutch settlements like Kochi, Chinsurah, Nagapattinam and Sadras. "India has a longer relationship with the Dutch than America does," Dr Pol said. 
The first Dutchman arrived in India in 1568, but trade ties were first established in 1604, when on November 11, Admiral Setven van der Hagen landed in Malabar to sign a defence and trade treaty with the Zamorin of Kozhikode. The Dutch East India Company had been established two years before this in 1602. 
Although Madras was not a Dutch settlement, its neighbouring Pulicat was a stronghold; the best surviving evidence of this is the Dutch cemetery. "People presumed pirates were buried there because of the skull and skeleton carvings," says Dr Pol, who had to enlighten people about the features of 18th century cemetery design.

Joeanna Rebello Fernandes, TNN | Nov 12, 2014, 12.58AM IST

Auto drivers to pay Rs 2,500 fine :From Monday, for overcharging





Will Impound Autos Of Repeat Offenders, Officials Say; But Public Sceptical About Drive

Transport authorities will from Monday fine autorickshaw drivers `2,500 if they charge more than the meter fare. They will also impound the vehicles of drivers against whom there are repeated complaints.A senior official said 24 teams will fan out across the city to ensure that errant drivers are penalized. The authorities have received numerous complaints about drivers refusing to ply by the meter despite the fact that petrol price has dropped by almost `10 litre since the fares were announced in August 2013. Autorickshaw drivers will from Monday have to pay a penalty of `2,500 if they demand more than the meter fare and will have their vehicles impounded for repeat offences.
The transport commissionerate is resuming its crackdown on errant autorickshaw drivers after going easy on them for three months. Under pressure from autorickshaw driver unions, the government had in August stopped impounding vehicles of drivers who did not ply by the meter.
“There were protests and earlier this year an auto driver even threatened to commit suicide,“ a senior official of the transport commissionerate said. “We decided to soften our stance because around 70% of auto drivers had fallen in line. But now that things have gone back to square one, we're left with no option but to take punitive measures.“
The traffic police will provide the manpower required for the enforcement and transport department officials have the authority to impound vehicles.
“At a meeting on Friday with the traffic police, we decided to work together again.The traffic police have 62 stations but we cannot have motor vehicle inspectors for each station because the department is understaffed. Each inspector will have to cover more than one police station jurisdiction,“ the offical said. “From Monday , 24 teams will collect `2,500 each from auto drivers for first time offences and impound vehicles of drivers for repeated complaints.“
Commuters, however, are not convinced that the drive will work, especially since such campaigns are sporadic and last for a couple of weeks or so at most.
“Police initially took action with gusto against owners of vehicles with sun protection film on their windows and those not wearing seat belts, but after a while people were violating the rules again and did not face action,“ said R Lingesh, of Kodambakkam. “Random campaigns do not work.“
While officials insist that members of the public should make complaints for them to take action, people who use autos regularly feel there is no point. “Most drivers demand at least `50,“ said Varadarajan A V , a resident of Adyar. “They even dare me to note down their numbers and make complaints. At the age of 77, I am not inclined to note down auto numbers or make complaints.“
But authorities insist that they are better prepared this time. “During the last drive, drivers said their autos were damaged and some parts stolen when their vehicles are impounded. We asked police to ensure that the vehicles are kept safely when they are impounded,“ the transport official said. He said 30 autorickshaws that officials impounded months ago are yet to be claimed by their owners.

Karthikeyan Hemalatha TOI 15 Nov 2014

Heritage : P Orr & Sons building set to lose another chunk

CHENNAI: The landmark P. Orr and Sons building on Anna Salai lost a part of it to the city's metro rail project more than two years back. Now, the heritage building is set to lose another portion because it has "become weak". Upholding a Chennai corporation decision to raze the rear portion of the building, the Madras high court on Thursday said: "The inconvenience of losing a small portion of the building is insignificant, when compared to the peril to which many people may be exposed, in the event of a disaster."

According to heritage experts the building constructed in 1878 is a load-bearing brick masonry structure with a Madras terrace. While the civic body says only the front portion of the building measuring around 4000 sqft was a heritage structure, conservationists claim the entire precinct, including the workshops in the rear, was of historical importance and couldn't be split into various buildings.




After the state government acquired a portion of the land on which the building is located for metro rail in November 2011, Intach approached the high court seeking to forbid the authorities from demolishing or modifying the structure, but the court held that the portion acquired for the project was not a heritage structure. That portion was demolished in April 2012 to make way for an underground metro station.

On April 1, 2013, the Chennai corporation issued a notice for demolition of another portion of the building on the grounds that it was unsafe. P.Orr & Sons, which runs a watch showroom in the building, moved the high court saying the building's owner, Associated Publishers, was trying to evict them. It said Associated Publishers had initiated rent control proceedings against it in 1986 saying the building was dilapidated and required demolition.



In its counter, Associated Publishers said it would not benefit by supporting the civic body's action. After failing in the eviction proceedings, it did not take any steps to start a fresh battle, it said. Citing an IIT-Madras report which said the building was in a precarious condition, Associated Publishers said it was the owner who would be held responsible in case of an accident.

The civic body in its affidavit said the rear portion of the structure was not a part of the heritage building. It had been constructed with bricks, lime mortar and sand and was now in a dilapidated condition. The metro rail work using heavy machinery exposed the building to heavy vibration and threatened its load bearing capacity, the corporation said.

Rejecting P Orr & Sons' petition, Justice V Ramasubramanian said the court had appointed a three-member committee comprising civil engineer Mohan Ramanathan, former PWD chief engineer R Nadimuthu and advocate commissioner V Parthibhan in June to inspect the building and submit a report. While Ramanathan and Partibhan opined that the structure was unsafe, Nadimuthu differed with them. But, the judge pointed out, the former chief engineer's report had failed to consider the impact of metro rail work on the building. In fact, he had said the assessment has to be reviewed after CMRL started its work, the judge said.

According to members of the P Orr and Sons management, the property dispute with the building's owners has been going on for decades ever since the 99-year-lease ended.

TNN | Nov 14, 2014, 04.38 AM IST

Heritage :Demolition of part of P Orr & Sons building

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Thursday cleared demolition of a portion of the landmark P Orr & Sons building on Anna Salai, saying certain things cannot be left to chance and precaution had to be taken against the possibility of a disaster. 
The court rejected a petition by P Orr & Sons, which runs a watch shop in the building, to restrain Chennai corporation from going ahead with the demolition. 
In November 2011, the state government acquired a portion of the land on which the heritage building is located for the metro rail project. Subsequently, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited demolished a section of the building. 




But the demolition also damaged a wall on the southwest corner on the second floor of the building. While P Orr & Sons undertook restoration work, Associated Publishers Private Ltd, which owns the building, sought an expert opinion from IIT-Madras about its safety. The report said a portion of the building had become weak. 

On the basis of the assessment, the corporation on April 1, 2013, issued a notice to fence off the rear portion and demolish around 894 sqft of the building. Against the notice, P Orr & Sons moved the HC, which dismissed the petition and cleared the deck for the civic body to proceed with demolition. 

TOI :Manish Raj, TNN | Nov 14, 2014, 04.53AM IST