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Burgeoning alliance

Alliance Francaise celebrates its Silver Jubilee today, reports ANUPAMA R

EXCHANGING IDEAS Jose Marie Cortez and, right, writer-teacher B. Hridaya Kumari in conversation

This is one birthday party Thiruvananthapuram cannot afford to miss. The Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum turns 25 today and the celebrations will be as engaging as these 25 years . Culturally rich and rooted in the Kerala-France relationship, the celebrations will be graced by the French Ambassador, Dominique Girard.

Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum (AFT) was set up in 1980 primarily to teach and promote the French language and culture. The director of AFT, José Marie Cortez explains, "In those days, there was no institution in Thiruvananthapuram that taught French. This was especially noticed when the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre started sending many engineers to France."

Cortez says Jose Antony Bosco, who used to teach French to many of these professionals, played a crucial role shaping the early years of AFT, "Bosco went to Alliance Francaise de Chennai and convinced them of the need for a similar institution in Thiruvananthapuram.

Window to a culture

So, finally it was decided that AFT would initially begin as an annex of Alliance Francaise de Chennai with a batch of 30 students." There started a long and memorable French affair.

Though several locations in Pattom, Vazhuthacaud and Kuravankonam were suggested, AFT finally established itself in a quaint building in Vellayambalam, where now stands a popular restaurant. Gérard Dupuy was the first director.

Today, AFT - the 1378th Alliance in the world — has about 600 students a year. So what is the goal that has been driving this institution all these years?

"Our main mission remains to teach French in a communicative way, but our goal is to develop and maintain a good relationship with the people of Kerala," says Cortez.

AFT has opened the window to another culture and allowed Indo-French exchanges. Thanks to the institution, the city has been witness to many internationally renowned artists, concerts and exhibitions. In this way, "AFT is the only institution in Thiruvananthapuram which exposes students to a foreign culture," says R. M. Narayanan, President of the AFT committee.

Thanks to the AFT library, students and members also have access to various books and audio-visual treats on French culture, cuisine and literature.

Inviting the young and the old to be part of its animated environs, AFT has become for many a place to relax.

Vijaya Nair, one of the teachers who has taught at AFT for several years, agrees, "The Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum transformed this part of town into a vibrant place where students and even professors, members and staff of all ages mingle together in a spirit of camaraderie."

Gokul Ram, a young student of AFT looks forward to his classes there. "I really enjoy the French culture. Earlier, I couldn't speak in French to French people... now I can," he says.

Vijaya Nair also points out that many who studied at AFT have gone on to secure prestigious jobs both in India and in France. Karthika Nair, a former student and employee of AFT who now works in Paris adds, "The life I have now, the profession I am in, my interests and world view... have all been shaped, shaded, by the years at the Alliance."

Changing gracefully

However, it has not been all glory and glamour for these 25 years. There have been challenges and changes that the AFT has accepted with grace. As Cortez says, from Vellayambalam to Sasthamangalam to Vazhuthacuad, it has been a "history of re-birth. Each time AFT shifted, we had to recreate awareness. We had to market our name."

A monthly newsletter, the AFT website and the cultural events are all part of rigorous marketing strategies designed to promote the institution.

A more recent tool has been the "discovery lesson" which is offered free of cost to anybody interested in learning about the teaching methods of AFT, French culture, French international exams and so on.

An optimistic Cortez adds, "Our capacity is not as big as in other cities, but it is not a problem as long as faith and enthusiasm remain."

And there is lot of enthusiasm when he talks of some future projects, "We want to have a new resource centre with new facilities... we also plan to have training programmes for French teachers from all over Kerala." That will be one more landmark in the momentous association between God's own country and the land of liberty.

Not surprising therefore that true to the meaning of `Alliance' (the word also means `wedding ring' in French), AFT has been witness to a long and fruitful marriage that has lasted 25 years, with many more to come.

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