"I am forwarding you the review about a recently published book in Tamil (since your blog now caters to a Tamil speaking audience as well!). I happened to have met and interviewed the author of the book (David Annousamy) while conducting my research. In my own book, I have also extensively quoted from the original French version of the book called "L'intermède francais en Inde. Secousses politiques et mutations juridiques." A reference and review of the same book in French can be found at the following address: http://droitcultures.revues.org/589#text.
TAMIL
Window on French culture : book review
by H. RAMAKRISHNAN
PUDHUVAI MANILAM ANRUM INRUM: David Annusamy; Pub. by Puducherry Cooperative Book Society, 17, 14 {+t} {+h} Street, Krishna Nagar, Puducherry-605008.
Rs. 200.
Quite few books have appeared in Tamil, including one by Anandarangam Pillai, on the history of Puducherry (Pondicherrry). And the one under review by David Annusamy, an eminent jurist, presents the Union Territory's history in three parts. The first deals with the arrival of the French, their early contacts with India and their wars with the other European countries.
While the second segment discusses the phase under the French rule, the third relates to the territory becoming part of the Indian Union — it merged de facto in 1954 and the de jure reunion took place in 1962.
Puducherry, which provided a window on French culture, imbibed the Tamil traditions as well. It has a place of its own in the freedom movement. Sri Aurobindo Ghosh came there in 1910 and he was followed by patriots like Poet Subramania Bharati.
Drawing from his vast and rich reservoir of personal experience and interactions, the author has provided a lot of lesser known details about Puducherry. According to him, there are 50,000 French-Indians (of Puducherry origin) living in France.
Annusamy first wrote the book in French and later had it translated into Tamil, adding some new facts. This will be a useful guide to researchers.
Contributed by Animesh Rai
Published by Arabella Hutter
With all due respect to David Annousamy whose knowledge of Pondicherry and its history was invaluable and impeccable, I would like to add that we mutually disagreed on the crux of my thesis!
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