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Goethals News Bulletin
Goethals Indian Library & Research Society, Kolkata
Vol. VII No. 4 October - December 2004

News Update | Articles | Researchers | New Arrivals | Mails & Emails

News Update

• Shri Ramsvarup Chaudhuri has donated Sri Ramacarita manasa and Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana (2 parts). The books were brought by Saurav Agarwal, a 3rd year B. Com student of St. Xavier’s college.
• An ex-student of SXC, Mr. Md. Khalid Mustafa (B.Sc.) donated the Feynman lectures on Physics, Vol. I, II & III to the library. These lectures were delivered to students of the California Institute of Technology by the Nobel laureate Dr. Feynman.
• Mr. Julian Sunil Martin Roy has donated a copy of his book "Brief History of Portuguese Converts" to the library.
• International Seminar: Fr. Felix Raj was at Aquinas College, Colombo, November 26-30, as the Convener of the 6th IIDS International Seminar on "Ten Years of WTO and Towards an Asian Union". He presented a paper on "WTO and Asian Developing Countries". Around 75 Economists from India participated, including two from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. A shorter version of Fr. Raj’s paper was published in ‘The Statesman’ on December 7, 2004.

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Publications

Fr. Felix Raj, "Globalization and its impact on Tribals in India", Xavier Research Journal, Ranchi, Vol. 3, No. I, Jan-April 2004. pp 11-19.

• WTO and Asia, The Statesman, December 8, 2004, Calcutta.

• Towards a New World Order, Indian Currents, 28 November, 2004, Delhi.

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Researchers at Goethals

Dr. Indrajit Bose of Presidency College: on Early Travellers to India.

Dr. Gupta: on Writings of Early Travellers to India.

Fr. Mary John, Tamil Nadu: to refer "The Herald", "Indo-European Correspondence" and "Modern Review".

Prof. Charlotte Simpson of St. Xavier’s College: on West Bengal, Indian Art, History of Bengal and Jainism.

Dr. Rila Mukherjee of Jadavpur University.

Sr. Irene of Loreto House: on Church of Our Lady of Dolours, Baitakhana.

Mr. Rezam Rahman from the UK: to refer St. Xavier’s Magazines.

Fr. Samuel Lepcha from Kalimpong, Darjeeling: on History of Christianity in Sikkim.

Mr. Dilip Ranjan Bose: on History of the crematorium building in Calcutta.

Fr. J Arockiasamy from Morning Star College: on History of the Santals.

Fr. S Amal Raj from Krishnagar: on social structure and the belief of all Santhals.

Mr. Nicholas Gervase Rhodes: on history of Darjeeling.

Ms. Chayanika Chakraborty a student of St. Xavier’s college: on history, Hinduism and Christianity.

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Darjeeling: The Tea Industry

Progress of the Industry: The establishment of the tea industry in Darjeeling is due to the enterprise of Dr. Campbell, who was appointed Superintendent of Darjeeling at a time when attention was being attracted to the possibility of starting and developing the cultivation and manufacture of tea in the territories under the East India Company. In 1834 the Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck, had appointed a committee "for the purpose of submitting a plan for the introduction of tea culture into India." This committee was apparently ignorant of the fact that in 1821 Major Bruce, and in 1824 Mr. Scott, had discovered the tea plant growing wild in Assam; and much expense and considerable delay were consequently incurred in bringing plants and seed from China, and importing Chinamen to teach the people of India how to grow the plant and manufacture tea. Satisfied that a great future might lie before the industry, Government itself undertook the formation of experimental plantations in Upper Assam and the districts of Kumaon and Garhwal; in 1839 private speculation took the field, and the Assam Tea Company was formed.

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Introduction of Tea

In 1840 Dr. Campbell was transferred from Kathmandu to Darjeeling, and there started the experimental growth of tea. It was soon found that the plant throve readily, at this altitude, and others began to follow Dr. Campbell’s example, seed being distributed by the Government to those who desired to cultivate the plant. Writing in 1852, Mr. Jackson says in his Report on Darjeeling- "I have seen several plantations in various stages of advancement, both of the Assam and China plant, and I have found the plants healthy and vigorous, showing that the soil is well adapted for the cultivation. In the garden of the Superintendent, Dr. Campbell, in Darjeeling, in the more extensive plantations of Dr. Withecombe, the Civil Surgeon, and Major Crommelin, of the Engineers, in a lower valley called Lebong, the same satisfactory result has been obtained: the leaves, the Blossom and the seeds are full and healthy; the reddish clay of the sides of the hill at Lebong seems to suit the plant better than the black loam of Darjeeling itself, at a height of 7,000 feet; but the opinion of Dr. Hooker and of others competent to judge seems to be that there is too much moisture and too little sun at Darjeeling to admit of the cultivation on a large scale becoming remunerative: this objection, however, does not apply to the lower sites of Pankhabari and Kurseong, where a plantation of both tea and coffee has been established by Mr. Martin, and the plants are now in a highly-thriving condition. In this tract of country, between the Morung and Darjeeling, every variety of elevation and aspect is to be found, and there seems to be little or no doubt that tea cultivation in that tract would answer.

- Bengal District Gazetteers- Darjeeling by LSS O’ Malley. Logos Press, New Delhi. 1999 (1907). Book No: 5B/25(B). pp 72,73.

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The Dancing Deer

A famous place in the old days for geese and duck shooting, was the Logtak Lake in Manipur. Manipur is situated between the Naga Hills of India and Burma, and used to be a small princely state. It now has the status of a Union Territory of India. Not much shooting is done there nowadays, I think, owing to the very high cost of 12-bore cartridges.

At a corner of this large lake lives a very rare and extremely elegant deer-the brow-antlered deer (Pl. 47). It is so called because the brow tines of its antlers sweep forwards and the beams backwards in a continuous, graceful curve. It officially became "extinct" in 1951, but a few years later was reported to be still existing in this very swampy area of tall grasses and reeds. I had always been interested in the preservation of this rare deer, and very much welcomed the chance to go there and investigate.

The I.U.C.N. sponsored my visit and the I.B.W.L. gave me moral support.

There are three subspecies of this deer: this one in Manipur, another one in Burma said to be becoming rarer each year, and a third one in Thailand and other parts of south-east Asia reported to be very nearly extinct. We in India are responsible for the survival of the first-mentioned, which the Manipuris call sangai, or "the animal that looks at you".

Accordingly I set out for Manipur by road in October 1959, and motored up the Brahmaputra valley and then through the Naga Hills to Manipur, where I was received by the courteous and co-operative Chief Forest Officer. After collecting all the information I could in Imphal the capital, I then moved on to the south-west corner of the Logtak Lake to start my field study.

When you walk on this phumdi it moves and shakes; and if you disappear through it into the black oozy water underneath, you know you have trodden where its thickness is only a few inches! The deer by living there for thousands of years, have developed slightly splayed-out hooves; and their pasterns are hairless and horny so that they can walk with them bent down on the reeds and grasses and not sink through the phumdi.

There are floating islands on lakes in Kashmir, Burma and North America that I have heard of, but I think that KEIBU L LAMJAO in Manipur in north-east India is the only floating wild life sanctuary in the world.

-The Wild life of India by E P Gee Collins London. 1965. Book No: 17A/101. pp 130,131.

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Howrah

Howrah, the second biggest city of West Bengal emerged as one of the most important industrial cities in India in the late nineteenth century. With the exception of Calcutta it was the biggest among the towns of the lower Hooghly industrial region.’ Though it was part and parcel of Calcutta it was often called "Collie Town".

Some situational advantages e.g. good anchorages, foreign market, a reputed place of worship etc. helped form the nucleus of a commercial centre. The city of Howrah could exploit certain advantages. Its old railway hubs, industries, influx of population, municipality, places of worship, roads and bridges gave the city the urban character. Batore and Salkia were two trade centres of Howrah. Batore was to Satgaon what Zedda was to Mecca. The importance of these two trade centres has been discussed in another chapter.

Docks, mills and factories in Howrah gave this city an industrial character. Its population came mostly from factory workers and for which this city was called a coolie town. With the advent of the Europeans the social and cultural life began to take a new shape. The introduction of missionary schools and Christian religion in Howrah brought a new turn in social life. From the census report of 1872 we find that there were 1484 Christians, and 354 souls of other religions excluding Hindus and Muslims in this city.

- Howrah: A study in Urbanization by A K Mukherjee. Chatterjee Publisher, Calcutta, 1992. pp1.Book No: 9B/144.

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New Arrivals

• Ambedkar’s perspective on Buddhism and other Religions by C D Naik. Kalpaz publications, New Delhi. 2004.

• Ancient India, in Historical outline by D N Jha. Manohar. New Delhi. 1998.

• Bengal Obituary by Holmes & Co. Punthi Pustak, Calcutta. 1991.

• Brief History of Portuguese converts – Atharo Gram, Dacca Catholics by J S Martin Roy. Roy Sumusti Publications. Kolkata. 2004.

• Caste in Bengal Border by P K Bhowmick. R N Bhattacharya. Kolkata. 2002.

• Cult of Goddess Sitala in Bengal by S K Mukhopadhyay. Firma KLM. Kolkata. 1994.

• Development programmes and tribal scenario – A study of Santal, Kora, Oraon by Md. Ayub Mallick. Firma KLM. Kolkata 2004.

• Early Bengali Serials 1818-1950 by A Mukhopadhyay. K P Bagchi & Co. Kolkata. 2004.

• Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 Vols) by R P Feynman. Narosa Publishing, New Delhi. 1990.

• Gitanjali – Song Offerings by Rabindranath Tagore. UBSPD, New Delhi. 2004.

• History of Indian Social and Political Ideas by B B Majumdar. Firma KLM. Calcutta. 1996.

• History of Science and Technology in Ancient India (3 vols) by D Chattopadhyaya. Firma KLM. Calcutta. 1996.

• History of the Calcutta Press by P T Nair. Firma KLM, Calcutta, 1987.

• Laws of Manu by G Buhler. Cosmo Publications. New Delhi. 2004.

• People and culture of Bengal: A study in Origins (2 vols) by A Chattopadhyaya. Firma KLM. Kolkata, 2002.

• Raj and the Bengali people by S K Datta. Firma KLM Kolkata, 2002.

• Scenario of Population growth in India by D N Kokar. Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi. 2004.

• South Indians in Kolkata by P T Nair, Punthi Pustak. Kolkata. 2004.

• Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana (2 vols.). Gita Press. Gorakhpur. 2001.

• Srimad Ramacaritamanasa, Gita Press. Gorakhpur. 2001.

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Mails & Emails

I am doing research on the history of the Jesuit missions to the court of Emperor Akbar, and would be most grateful if I could obtain a photocopy of two publications. Fr. H. HOSTEN, List of Jesuit missionaries in Mogor, 1580-1803 and E.D. MACLAGAN, Jesuit missions to the Emperor Akbar.
Dirk Collier, Belgium.

I am an alumnus of St. Xavier's College and I am looking for some biographical information of Fr. Goreaux and Fr. Verstraeten. I am interested in learning about their scientific background - where and what they studied before coming to India. Thank you also for the wonderful website of the Goethals library.
Amitabha Sen, Chicago.

I have in my possession a sword presented to a Cadet in 1810. It is inscribed: "Honorary Award, Cadet Company, Barraset, 18 June, 1810,G.H. Johnstone, Cadet". Could this have been a cadet at St. Xaviers?
J. R. N. Virginia, USA

I am an undergraduate student at Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA. I am assisting professor Devesh Kapur in his research regarding the ‘Indian Diaspora’. During his research he came across excerpts from the book "Biographies of Eminent Indians" by Natesan which is listed under the "Biographies" section leading off your front page. Please send me more information about the publication. Yours is the only institution we have been able to find possessing a copy of this publication.
Daniel Littlejohn-Carrillo, Harvard College

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Goethals Indian Library & Research Society, St. Xavier’s, 30 Mother Teresa Sarani, Kolkata-700 016, India.
Tel: 0091-33-2280 1919; email: goethals@vsnl.com  Web-site: www.goethals.in 
Director: Fr. Felix Raj, SJ; Library Asst: Mr. Warren Brown; Computer Asst: Mr. Sunil Mondol