A fifty is a fifty- whichever way you look at “be it in a game, in the life of an institution or an event. It is a landmark which when crossed should be celebrated in such a manner that the occasion lingers in memory. Alas, the Government Arts College, one of the most important institutions in this hill station let the occasion slip by a decade ago.
Arrangements had been made by the college and a plan of action had been put in place to rope in the alumni and all sections of society here.
Work on putting together a souvenir had also commenced.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, the celebrations failed to take off due to various reasons.
Ten years on a hope being expressed in various circles particularly by those connected with the institution over the years is that at least its 60th year should be commemorated in a fitting manner. However, the question is, “who will take the initiative.”
Not many even in this hill station know that the college came into existence after overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and that it was housed in the old secretariat buildings which were of considerable historical significance.
ADVERTISEMENT
The secretariat buildings were converted out of the “Stonehouse” so called on account of it being built entirely of stone. It was built by John Sullivan, who was the then Collector of Coimbatore and popularly known as the founder of Ootacamund.
Regrettably very little is left of the oak tree planted by Sullivan in front of the original house in 1823.
Two other oak trees which were planted close to Sullivan’s tree by Lord and Lady Willingdon on June 1,1923 to commemorate the centenary of Ootacamund add beauty to the Stonehouse and serve as evergreen links to the past and present.
The Government Arts College owes its existence to the efforts of a 14-member Nilgiris College Committee which had among others as its members N.M. Lingam, former MP, A. Dharmalingam, veteran journalist, V.N. Surendar Ram, former MP, N.Lingan, former chairman of the local civic body, H.B. Ari Gowder, leader of the Badaga community, K.R. Ramakrishnan, a senior advocate and Ewam Piljain, a Toda leader.
It came into being due to the sustained interest shown by the people of The Nilgiris, the vigorous drive launched by the Committee and the personal interest taken by the then Governor of Madras Sri Prakasa, the former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, C. Subramaniam who was the then Finance and Education Minister of Madras and a few others.
While Mr. Sri Prakasa had declared open the college on June 16, 1955, Mr. Subramaniam had observed in his presidential address that though the policy of the Government was to open more technological and professional colleges instead of arts colleges, it had decided to comply with the demand of the people for an arts college, to be run by the Government, in view of the “educational backwardness of the district.”