ROMAIN
ROLLAND LIBRARY:
177-OLD
TREASURE TROVE
Nandhivarman
Professor of literature at the French Lyce’e of Pondicherry M. Bourdat,
while writing on reconstruction of history, is candid in admitting that “it
would be tedious to revel exclusively in stones and inscriptions. There remain
texts, not only livelier than stones but often valuable monuments themselves.”
To look into these texts there cannot be a better place than the Library named
after French Scholar Roman Rolland, a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Romaine Rolland Library, next to Pondicherry News, is a treasure
trove of knowledge, with 3, 38,304 books in its possession this heritage of Pondicherry
that enables “a stimulating contact with manuscripts” and its possessions must
be preserved. The care that is taken towards buildings and the money that flows
towards architecture related projects must be diverted to knowledge –based
projects and preserving of the rare manuscripts. But fortunately, it is the
French Institutions that are still working in the right directions, whereas
government Institutions have wakeup to the demands of times only recently.
National Mission for Manuscript has launched a week –long campaign
beginning November 2004 digitalizing history. 5000 surveyors at the rate of 50
per districts will be combing 100 districts spread across various states to
search for manuscripts. Susdha Gopalakrishnan, Director of the Mission, says,
“At the end of their efforts, there will be no manuscript that the mission
would not have digitalization.c “All districts of Karnataka and Orissa are
lucky to be included in the mission. The other states have missed the bus in
the South.
After the private imitative of Tamizh Thatha UVe Swaminathan Iyer, there
have been no governmental efforts to collect rare manuscripts in Tamil. Now
that UDA Government had declared Tamil as classical language efforts to add
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry into this 100 district’s list must be taken up.
Many century old palm-leaf manuscripts still remain in certain homes,
before all could be lost they should be digitalized, says Era Thirumurugan of
the Tamil Development Action Group, Pondicherry.
“To begin with we have to reinvent our history by preserving the rare
collection of books in the Roman Rolland Library. Around 27,000 rare
collections of books are there in Roman Rolland Library or, to be precise, it
should be so, through the task of tracing the missing and damaged books,
computers, is on. “says Murugappan, information officer.
OUT OF 3, 38,304 books in the Library Library Tamil section has 1,
20,000 books and English literature about 1, 75.000. In the reference section
22,300 books and in the children’s library have 40,000. Through the mobile
service, 3000 books are reaching the reading public. The Government of
Pondicherry provides, every year, Rs. 4 to 6 lakh of funds. And the new
purchases for the year 2003-2004 is 4254 books.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library foundation of Kolkatta has so for provided
18,422 books under non matching scheme free of cost. “Efforts must be taken to
reach out to various other similar foundation s abroad to get books free for
enlightening the knowledge,” says A.Arivunambi, Head of the department of Tamil
at Pondicherry University.
It appears that out of existing 3.00.000 books around 45.000 books have
to be declared condemned books and replaced. The 54 branch libraries in
Pondicherry have 4.30,000 books out of which 35,000 books are t5o be condemned.
Existing books are too facing threats from insects and the entire Library must
be centrally air conditioned along with periodical chemical and other
treatments to keep bookworms and other insects away. Years of neglect had come
to an end with the Aegean stables being cleared under the dynamic vision of BV
Selvaraj, Secretary, Arts & Culture, with the assistance of N Sumathi.
The heritage of a town is not all of its buildings. It is the priceless
manuscripts, inscriptions, archaeological artifacts, copper plates, tombstones,
rock art, folklore and paintings that is preserved in museums and libraries
that brings to light many hidden facts about heritage. If a country or town
falls to protect its books and rare manuscripts whatever recorded history is
present till date will be lost.
The Library movement in Pondicherry began with the Bibliotheque on May 1,
1827. The library initially was near the railway station, and then later
shifted to Roman Rolland Street where the mind was functioning. Next to Raj
Niwas in the current location it functions from 1974. With the advent of age of
information and technology after 177 years this library is planning to
digitalize books, manuscripts and all information and placing them on the
internet for the scrutiny of one and all.
In Pondicherry, fortunately, many French books have been housed in the
Roman Rolland Library. In the post-merger phase with India, the replacement of
French for English led to the neglect of that language and its rare collection
of books. Catalogue General, a complication of rare books in Roman Rolland
Library written by Madame Yvonne Robert Gaebele and published by Pondicherry
Government in 1960. is yet to see a reprint or update. “Despite humidity, the
parasites and the casualness in the treatment of the volumes precious editions
have survived,” says Bourdat in his book 18th Century Pondicherry.
Till very recently, there had been no librarian with the knowledge of
French and decades of ignorance French books in the Library has led to lot of
loss to priceless books. The newly inducted assistant, who knows French, is
courteous and helps researches with adequate information. Not only was that,
many valuable manuscripts handed over to National Archives unnecessarily,
instead of being preserved here. After decades of neglect the current Librarian
Murugappan had started to put the house in order, admits rising expectations
from research scholars.
Courtesy:9th October 2004 New Indian Express
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