Dr.Chettiar's Correspondence

letter to Sri K. Kamaraj

Dr.RM.Alagappa Chettiar 

Alagappa College P.O.
Karaikudi

       14th December, 1955

Dear Sir,

I am writing this from my sick bed. I proceeded to Karaikudi on the 3rd by plane, blissfully ignorant of the catastrophe that I was to face in our College Campus. No doubt I had some slight idea of the damage that must necessarily have been caused by the cyclone described in the papers. The adventurous journey I had from Trichy Airport to Karaikudi by car, rail and on walk exhausted me completely both in physique and in mind, that I was just in a state of collapse when I reached the Bhavnagar Stadium. What I heard and what I subsequently saw with my own eyes gave the finishing shocks to my frail frame both of body and mind that I continued to remain in Karaikudi for another day just a helpless person with double impression of the sudden demands, for rehabilitation alongside of the ever growing demands for maintenance and expansion of the institutions.

Despite my definite weak health on the 5th, and the sad picture of the Campus I was leaving behind, I left for Madras on my intended journey for Delhi to preside over the Central Electrochemical Advisory meeting and call on certain officers of the Govt. of India with regard to the proposed National College of Physical Education, the extension of the Science Block of the Alagappa College for Women and much dreamt of Medical College. The moment I arrived in Madras I was fit not to pursue my programme of activity but ready only to be delivered to the care of Doctors. As a result of medical advice followed by a thorough diagnosis I am now in my sick bed with an enforced rest for treatment of bone T.B. You can easily understand my anguish in the background of my responsibilities for the Colleges already established and the glowing vision for their planned future. To cut the unhappy story short I should like to give hereunder a rough account in seriatim of the damages wrought to our fair College Campus by the cruel slings of cyclone.

1. Avenue trees all along: Avenue trees which have taken not merely continued enthusiasm and love but also a long stretch of nearly seven years for their growth and thousands of rupees have now been up- rooted and the site appears to be one as though a Bull Dozer deliberately run through.

2. Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Training College: It is indeed on irony of nature that what one built with assiduous care and never failing speed to give us a feast of the completion before the year and has been mercilessly beaten and dealt with by the cyclone. The asbestos roof of the newly built blocks have been blown off. One temporary shed put up for the Model High School attached to the Training College has collapsed. The thatched roofs of the buildings of the Alagappa Basic School and Alagappa Preparatory School have to be renewed.

3. Alagappa Collapse and the attached Hostels: The Hostels in our campus and the amenities for students in the shape of dining hall, bath room and kitchen which were our pride, now lie almost literally floored. The marble tables inside the dining halls have been broken by the fall of the sheds. The roofs of the three kitchens have been severely damaged. The glass window panes of the Five blocks of the Alagappa College have been completely broken and in some cases even the frames have been ripped off from the structure. Fortunately we were able to save the files, though most of them got submerged in water. The staff sheds nearby are all in a dilapidated condition leaking profusely and there is even the danger of their collapsing, if some further slight shocks of nature are unhappily experienced.

Chemistry Block:, Part of the roof of the B.Sc., laboratory has been blown off, and the gas house is in a miserable condition as considerable damage has been done to the roof. The cellar room of the Chemistry Block is flooded. in front of the Zoology and Botany block cement slabs which were deliberately built round the trees to provide amenities for students particularly during midday recess have all been smashed by the trees which have fallen on them.

College canteen, the Students' Co-operatives Stores and the General Stores of the Hostel have all sustained heavy damage and we had to remove articles worth ten to fifteen thousand rupees to the Zoology block. Most of the articles are in a damaged condition. The Botany garden and the Jawahar Park which were built and grown with a lasting pride are now mere scenes of sad memories. It will take months and a large sum of money to restore them to the former condition. The Pump sets installed in the gardens have all come under water and in some cases the foundation gave way and the machine is under 26 to 30 feet of water. Salvage operations are going on. Even if these pump sets are taken back they may not be of any use immediately.

4. Staff Quarters: In the staff quarters the bath rooms and lavatory are rendered useless, the roof having been blown away. The fuel which was stocked all got completely wet and in view of the fact there was no light and no water we were compelled to close the Colleges. We are getting anxious enquiries from the parents after reading the news of the havoc in the papers. So, we thought it best to allow the boys to go home. Most of them had no money for traveling expenses, and we advanced money for the traveling expenses. If this had not been done we would have had to face a very difficult situation, but fortunately we were able to send away all the boys by the 3rd December, we have informed them that they would be intimated as when the Colleges will resume normal work.

We wish to inform you that we owe a responsibility for the care and well being of nearly 2500 persons - staff and students of the various Colleges with the Campus. Every moment after the eventful and tragic happening our staff of the College and our office have been straining their nerves to rebmbilitate the campus in the various sectors. We have already spent well over Rs.50,000/- with the full realisation the date of the re-opening of our Colleges must be as immediate as possible particularly in view of the fact that 50% of the Arts College students and the 100% of the Engineering College students have to face the Ordeal of University examination in March. We have now issued notices that the Colleges will be reopened on the 19th December and students will have to report themselves to their respective hostels on the 18th.

May I in this dark hour solicit your sympathy and kind co-operation? This appeal I am making on behalf of the staff and students of the Colleges. I do hope that your large-heartedness, you sympathy for the distressed and your genuine kindness for suffering humanity will respond to our humble call for help and assistance. Financial help from Government at this dark hour has become a necessity and we do hope we shall get a substantial contribution from Government to tide over the crisis.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Sd...RM.Alagappa Chettiar

Sri. K. Kamaraj
Chief Minister
Govt. Of Madras
Madras

 

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Dr.RM.Alagappa Chettiar 

Alagappa College P.O.
Karaikudi

       16th December, 1955

Dear Sir,

In continuation of my letter dated 14th December, I am enclosing herewith an estimate for the rehabilitation of the educational institutions in the Alagappa Campus the cost of which has been assessed by my engineers. In this connection I would like to mention that although it Is of the utmost urgency to give immediate relief to those affected by the cyclone, yet the rehabilitation of educational institutions who work for a time schedule must also be given top priority, in order to see that the students studying in the various institutions in the Alagappa Campus are not handicapped in their instructional work to appear for the ensuing University and other Examinations. The Trust has there- fore gone forward with the rehabilitation work with the hope that Government with their large hearted sympathy will extend their hand of help in giving the necessary assistance, to the students who if they are handicapped in any way in their academic work would have to set their clock back by one year.

Early orders may therefore be kindly passed for giving financial aid for the work detailed here- with.

Yours sincerely,

Sd...RM.Alagappa Chettiar

Sri. K. Kamaraj
Chief Minister
Govt. Of Madras
Madras

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