Around 135 years since Pulikadu Ratnavelu Chettiar, the first assistant collector of Indian origin for Palakkad region, committed suicide in protest against racial discrimination shown by his British bosses under the Madras Presidency, the life of this Andhra-born civil servant has inspired a theatre experiment titled ‘Anchu Vilakku.’
About 50 theatre activists of Palakkad district will soon rally under the theatre group Tap Nataka Vedi to stage the play scripted and directed by Ravi Thaicaud. Apart from the theatre activists, Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan will play a lead role in the drama, the rehearsal of which will begin on September 28, the death anniversary of Chettiar. The artists will begin the preparation after paying floral tributes to Chettiar at a lamp post, titled Anchu Vilakku, erected in his memory near the Palakkad fort.
“The one-and-a-half-hour play will be a travel in time to recall the major changes at the time of formation of Palakkad municipality. Apart from being the assistant collector, Chettiar was the first vice chairman of the Palakkad municipality. He laid solid foundation for Palakkad to evolve as a major town in British Malabar,” said Mr. Thaicaud in an interaction with The Hindu .
He said it was difficult for him to gather minute details of the life of the civil servant.
Trigger for suicide
Chettiar once welcomed the Malabar Collector, a Briton, by shaking hands. The white man washed his hands immediately on the stage in front of the dignitaries. Unable to bear the humiliation, Chettiar committed suicide on September 28, 1881.
Anchu Vilakku (a pillar comprising five lamps) was erected later at the initiative of municipal chairman Rao Bahadur Chinnaswamy Pillai. Pillai had collected funds from the local community to preserve the memories of Chettiar.
“Though he passed law from London, Chettiar was prevented from becoming the collector because the presidency insisted that no Indian can hold the post. The play is being staged to mount public opinion against racial discrimination and social boycotts. The first staging is planned for October at the Palakkad Town Hall,” said Mr. Thaicaud.
