Dr.Chettiar's Correspondence

Letter to Mr. C.D. Deshmukh

Dear Mr. Deshmukh

It was the other day that I had the privilege of writing to your partner Srimathi Durga Bai conveying my sincere congratulations to her and to you on your marriage. I have had the pleasure of receiving a fine reply from your wife. I look forward to extend my congratulations in person when I expect to be in Delhi some where about the 11th March for the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Governing Body meeting.

I have the privilege of sending you my invitation for the inauguration of the building scheme of our Engineering College by President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and to Srimathi Durga Bai. I have often bee dreaming of inviting you to Karaikudi and bless my "academic adventure" as Rajajl put it. I shall now ,content myself by receiving your kind message and good wishes for the function.

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Dear Sri Deshmukh

I wish to say 'au revoir' to Smt. Deshmukh and your good self on the eve of my departure for U.K. for an eye operation, this afternoon from Bombay. I am expected to be away for two months. I am feeling confident and happy in the thought that I have the good wishes and blessings of elders and friends like you.

You might remember my talk with you on more than one occasion about the proposed Medical College and the Hospital at Karaikudi an institution, which will be an addition to the cluster of educational institutions that it has been my privilege to found, and one which institution I had the privilege of being inaugurated by you. Talking of the Alagappa Colleges, I may bring to your notice that yet another institution is coming into existence within the next few days in the shape of "Alagappa Polytechnic" in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Diploma courses. The subject of the starting of a Medical College and a hospital attached thereto at Karaikudi is now before’ the Government of Madras, and that Government has before it the Report submitted by the, Dr. Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar Committee with regard to the venue of the Hospital and the College in the Madras State. It has recommended unequivocally Karaikudi, and I felt very happy indeed when you told me in compact and severe economic parlance: "The non recurring portion of the hospital and the College could be delivered by printed money from Delhi whereas the recurring expenditure both of the hospital and the college has to be done only either from taxation or from savings which could be done only by State Governments". I was indeed very happy to hear such a precise expression of an economic view. I do hope that when the subject does come up to you either as Union Minister or as Member of the Planning Commission, you will kindly give your full weight to the proposal and enable the Medical College and the Hospital also to be started, this being in the chain of the many noble institutions which have sprung up by the Grace of God in the Campus.

Incidentally, I may also bring to your notice that Sri Subramaniam, our State Finance Minister has told me the other day that the State Government has sent a letter to the Union Government welcoming the idea of a Central University at Karaikudi. Things may have yet to take shape, before it is matured enough to come to you for your approval. That- I believe, can take place only after Mr. Humayun Kabir returns and Maula Saheb gives his approval.

With kind regards to Smt. Deshmukh and your good- self.

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Dear Mr. Chintaman Deshmukh,

At the end of nearly three long months after my fracture at Delhi, I still continue to be as ever before without too much scientific hope of recovery, immobilised in bed completely. What gives me strength is not the scientific hope or the absence of it but the faith that the institutions at Karaikudi continue to grow ever more with the goodwill of friends and the assistance from Government and my own humble efforts.

I remember you were telling me when I met you last in Delhi that you will be in Madras sometime at the end of June or July on your way to participate in the inauguration of Kunda Project in the Nilgiris. May I express the hope and the fond wish that I may have the privilege of Smt. Durghabai and your good- self just calling at my bedside during your trip to Madras to give some little encouragement and enable me to pay my sincerest regards to you both.

My health seems to be certainly in the downward trend. I have not much of a hope of another recovery let alone rapid. The cancer growth seems to be making its onward progress leaving me every- day is a worse state than every before. The only satisfaction that I can have during such a trying period is to have an opportunity of meeting such intellectuals and statesmen of your-order, talk a few words and pay my respects in person. You must kindly excuse me for making a request of this type which is not, I can appreciate, a normal one.

Our beloved Rajaji has written to me yesterday: 'I wish I had the power to cure you or to give you what God alone in His Grace must give you - the strength to see His will in all your trials.

God has given you strength but indeed He is trying you hard. Perhaps you are a favourite of His.

May the power of Mercy whom our forefathers called Devi look after you and make you smile over your pains'.

This is the way I take it I should have my view of my life.

My kindest regards to Smt. Durghabai and your goodself.

Yours sincerely, Sd..RM. Alagappa Chettiar To Sri C.D. Deshmukh Minister for Finance New Delhi.

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Dear Shri. Chintaman Deshmukh,

I was ever so glad to receive your message on the occasion of the inauguration of the Alagappa College Of Physical Education. The function went off well. It was indeed a happy coincidence that the message which you had sent as a good and valued friend, was read on the very day on which you assumed your new office as Chairman of the University Grants Commission, with which our Colleges at Karaikudi will get connected in many ways.

I must first tender my thanks to you for your kind message and simultaneously offer you my congratulations on the assumption of your new office. You may remember my writing to you even in my earlier letter expressing my prayerful wish that your great talents be utilised in the service of the country even after your resignation from the Ministry of finance. Little did I realise then that prayer was going be so quickly heard and answered. That you have accepted this position on an honorary salary Re1/- is just like you. The country generally and the Universities particularly, are gainers by your assumption of this great office.

I have always cherished the desire that the group of colleges here (Karaikudi) should one day or the other be made into a Central University. With the passing of time, this wish of mine is getting strengthened. Indeed I have mentioned this to you more than once.

You have visited the institutions at Karaikudi and it is not for me to say how suitable it is for a Central University in the South. I am, however, rather upset to notice that the case for Karaikudi does not appear to have been properly understood. I refer to the deliberations of the last meeting of the University Grants Commission, the results of which have been communicated to me by .your Secretary, Mr. Samuel Mathai on 8/8/1956.

I find that the case against Karaikudi is urged on three grounds - (i) inaccessibility, (ii) inadequacy of water supply and (iii) smallness of the town

It is difficult for me to appreciate the argument about inaccessibility. There is an airport at Tiruchirapalli connecting Bombay, Ceylon, Madras and another airport at Chettinad hardly five miles away which is in sound working order though just at present there is no scheduled flight to that place; but the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is taking action to introduce regular services connecting this airport with the main aerial routes. Karaikudi is on the main railway line from Madras to Colombo and the Boat-mail passes through it. There is also another airport at Madurai which is only 50 miles from Karaikudi. You will, therefore, realise that Karaikudi is a day's journey from any important place in India. You will pardon my surprise that Karaikudi should, in these circumstances, have been considered inaccessible.

The argument about water supply is a very old one and was used unsuccessfully when proposals were under consideration many years ago to start the Central Electrochemical Research Institute here. There are twenty tube wells in this area and the supply is copious. There are in this campus 2500 students, not to mention the staff of our six colleges or of the Central Electrochemical Research institute. It is already a township in itself with hostel accommodation for 2000 students and staff quarters for nearly 200 persons towards which Madras and Central Governments have given loans. The staff of the Central Electrochemical Research Institute have their own quarters. The argument about inadequate water supply is an exploded one and could have been used only by those who do not know the history of this particular controversy, or have not visited Karaikudi in recent years.

As to the size of the township, you will excuse my saying that it is not advantages to locate a University in or near a gigantic city with its industrial and political atmosphere which affects the placid life of a University Campus and distract the students into dangerous diversions. The big Universities of the World like Oxford, Cambridge and Hydelberg and Yale are situated in towns of comparatively small size, whose importance is due to the University itself and not to the size of others activities in the city. From the point of view of the development of a proper college life, I venture to state, that Karaikudi is a town of the right size and served with sufficient amenities. The Colleges are located just outside the Municipal area in a vast campus of well over 1200 acres. I may also state, though perhaps I may be mistaken about it, that the letter from Mr. Samuel Mathai seems to suggest that Karaikudi may not be an ideal place for starting a University. There is no question of handing over the management of the existing colleges and the various faculties attached thereto, so as to form a Central University. The transactions is a legal and financial one, rather than an effort at creating anything new.

You will not, I am sure, consider it necessary for me to repeat the argument that the South does require a little more recognition than it has so far received at the hands of the Center.

I am still in bed and I am unable to sit up properly, much less get about. But I am carrying on as best I can.

With kindest regards to Mrs. Durgabai Deshmukh and yourself.