1888ஆம் ஆண்டு நிறுவப்பட்ட காரைநகர் இந்துக் கல்லூரி 1948ஆம் ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்டு மாதத்தில் அறுபது ஆண்டுகளை நிறைவு செய்து வைர விழாவினைக் கொண்டாடியது. கல்லூரியானது உன்னதமான நிலையினைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்ள அயராது உழைத்த வெள்ளிவிழா அதிபர் கலாநிதி ஆ.தியாகராசா அதிபராக கடமையாற்றிய 1948இல் வைரவிழா கொண்டாடப்பட்டிருந்தமையும் 1949ஆம் ஆண்டு டிசம்பர் மாதத்தில் வைரவிழா சிறப்பிதழாக சஞ்சிகை ஒன்று வெளியிடப்பெற்றிருந்தமையும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கதாகும். இதுவே கல்லூரியினால் முதன்முதலாக வெளியிடப்பெற்ற சஞ்சிகையாகும்.

இன்று 132 ஆண்டுகளைக் கடந்து விழுதுகள் பரப்பி பெரு விருட்சமாக வியாபித்து நிற்கும் காரை.இந்துவானது தோற்றம்பெற்ற அறுபது ஆண்டுகளில் ஏற்பட்ட அதன் துரித வளர்ச்சியில் பங்குகொண்ட தன்னலமற்ற கல்விச் சேவையாளர்கள், சமய உணர்வும், சமூக அக்கறையும் கொண்ட சேவையாளர்கள், வளர்ச்சிக்கு உதவிய கொடைவள்ளல்கள்,; ஆகியோரை நன்றியோடு நினைவுகூர்ந்து முக்கியமான வரலாற்றுத் தகவல்களை உள்ளடிக்கியதான ஓர் கட்டுரை இச்சஞ்சிகையில் பிரசுரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது;. வைரவிழா கண்ட தருணத்திலிருந்து அறுபது ஆண்டுகள் பின்னோக்கிப் பார்க்கப்பட்டு நினைவுகளை மீட்டிப்பார்த்த பதிவாக ஆங்கிலத்தில் அமையப்பெற்றுள்ள இக்கட்டுரையின் சிறப்பும் பயனும் கருதி இதனை இவ்விணையத்தளம் மீளப் பிரசுரிப்பதில் பெருமைகொள்கின்றது.

இக்கட்டுரையில் நினைவுகூரப்பட்டுள்ளவர்களுள் எம்மிடம் கிடைக்கப்பெற்றுள்ள சிலரது புகைப்படங்கள் கட்டுரைக்குக் கீழாக இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

Looking Back

Karainagar  Hindu  College

DIAMOND  JUBILEE

MEMORIES

By

“Alumnus”

This school that celebrated the Diomond Jubilee in August last year was founded in the year 1888 by that great and good man the  late Mr.Muthu Sayampu one of the pioneers of Hindu education in Jaffna, who spent his small resources in this educational effort. For a long time Mr.Sayampoo himself was the headmaster. He had only one assistant-a gentleman who was a product of the Seminary at Vaddukkooddai and who devoted his declining years to the cause of Hindu education. Among the first batch of students were Mr.S.R.Arumugam I.S.M., -Malayan pensioner at present and father of Mr.A.Thiyagarajah the present principal and the late Mr.V.Ampalavanar the uncle of the late Mr.N.Nadarajah, K.C. The religious atmosphere of the school was good. There was no grant-in-aid in those days and the boys in addition to the usual instruction in English were given a grounding in such books as “Thiruvathavoor Puranam” and the singing of Thevarams. Mr.Sayampoo was supported in his early days of grim struggle by his uncle Mr.Lakshmanar a good and saintly gentleman himself. Mr.Sayampu was soon able to enlist the support and sympathy of the leading men of the place. Chief among them was the late Dr.K.Viswanathan, an eminent physician and philanthropist- the great grand-father of Mr.J.C. Arulampalam of the staff of the college –by whose efforts the first brick and mortar building called the “Thirugnana Sampantha Moorthy Nayanar Hall” was built: it was opened by Sir William Twynam the revered and veteran Government Agent of Jaffna in the year 1905. The late Mr.Sivasithampara Iyer – father of Mr.Mahesa Sarma, Notary public who served the school as teacher for some years-and Mr.Muttiah used to deliver religious lectures in the school hall which used to be largely attended . The Founder was himself a good student of Tamil and Saiva Religion having been taught by the reputed Tamil Scholar the late Mr. Nevin Chithamparapillai. Among those who helped and encouraged Mr.Sayampu with lands and funds at a critical period were the late Mr.Murugesu Kovindar and the Late Mr.Sithamparappillai Kanthappar –father of Messrs K.Somasundaram and K.Chanmugam who followed in their time the noble example set by their father.- both of Karainagar. Later on, it was felt that the school should be recognised by the Government if it was to continue its career of usefulness. It was during this period that the late Mr.E.K.Sivasubramania Iyer B.A., from South India joined the school as Headmaster with Mr.A.V.Kulasingham, a leading lawyer today –as assistant. The school was first registered in the year 1911 and reorganised under the name of Karainagar Hindu English School. Those were great days indeed; and the people of Karainagar who lived through those days can still recall happy memories of good things taught and done, how the school took up the cause of the Temperance Movement and organised public opinion under the leadership of the great Trio…”E.K.S”, Prof.Allen Abraham, B.A., F.R.A.S. and Mr.A.V.Kulasingam. The school was thus the centre of much social awakening and reform. ‘E.K.S.” served the school at much sacrifice to his own self foregoing a large part of his salary. Residents of Karainagar in Malaya who formed themselves into the Karai Union gave valuable assistance with money and their never failing enthusiasm in a good cause. The late Mr.Murugesu was the leader of the movement in Malaya and sacrified a great deal for helping the school. When it was registered as an elementary school, in spite discouragement and opposition the path of the school was more or less smooth.

The founder himself had become old and it was necessary to place the management of the school on a sure foundation. He accordingly made over the Management to the Board of Directors of the Jaffna Hindu College in 1921 and it has remained under their management ever since. The school had beem fortunate in having had a succession of Headmasters who were all devoted to the service and well being of the institution – the late Mr.S.Ramakrishna Iyer, who succeeded “E.K.S.” the late Mr.P.Veluppillai,- father of Mr.V.Thillainathan Advocate and grand father of Dr.R.Kanagasundaram both old boys:- the late Mr.N.Kandiah, the son-in-law of Mr.Sayampu, Mr.A.Saravanamuttu, who is at present District Inspector of school Jaffna, the late Mr.K.S.Rajaratnam, Mr.A.Sitaraman who served twice here and has now retired and Mr.A.Kanagasabai who retired having spent the last ten years of his service here. Special mention must be made of Mr. A.Kanagasabai, under whose regime, the strength of the school rose from 130 pupils in 1936 to 450 pupils in 1945. It was then, the school became a Senior Secondary School teaching up to the S.S.C. class.

The present Principal Mr.A.Thiyagarajah who succeeded him has been able to work it up  and make it a First Grade School in 1949. It teaches Up to the H.S.C. and Entrance Classes and has a fairly good Library and a well equipped Laboratory and other modern requirements. It has a teaching staff with many highly qualified and competent teachers, which is devoted to the service of the school. It has over 600 boys and girls on its roll. Though it has grown big and fast, it is still known locally as the Sayampu School.

On the occasion of the Diomond Jubilee it is natural for us to look back with profound gratitude and in spirit of thanksgiving upon all generous benefactors: with satisfaction and pride upon all faithful sons of the school who carried its name into every walk of life, in high place or in low place, in this country as well as in Malaya: above all to look back over these sixty years to our founder, whose lamp of love like Aladdin’s lamp brought to light this great institution.

The greatest benefactor of the College has been the late Mr.N.Nadarajah,K.C., who in his lifetime donated two acres of land for the college. Carrying out his wishes, his widow Thangammah has presented to the college a magnificent gift-the Nadarajah Memorial Hall erected at a cost of Rs.60,000/= and a rare collection of books to the library. Apart from its   usefulness as a Hindu educational institution the school has developed into a centre of social usefulness, which cannot but prove to be of the greatest benefit to the people of Karainagar, as well as the rest of Ceylon. The worthy sons of Karainagar who are wealthy and prosperous should not fail to help the school to expand as they had helped it in its earlier days. There is wealth at Karainagar and there is no worthier cause than the expansion of the college for spending  of that wealth. It will be a great investment for the future generations of the people of Karainagar.

Late Mr.M.Sayampoo                               Late Mr.A.Saravanamuttu                                     Late Mr.A.Kanagasabai

Late Dr.A.Thiyagarajah                                    Late Mr.A.V.Kulasingam                    Late Prof.Allen Abraham

Late Mr.Mahesa Sarma                                                 Late Mr.J.C.Arulampalam          

Late Mr.N.Nadarajah K.C.                                      Late Mrs.Thangammah Nadarajah

Late Mr.S.R.Arumugam                                   Late Prof.Dr.R.Kanagasundaram              Late Mr.V.Thillainathan

–

வரலாற்று முக்கியத்துவம் மிக்க மேற்குறித்த கட்டுரையினையும் தொடர்புபட்ட சில புகைப் படங்களையும் தந்து உதவிய கல்லூரியின் முன்னாள் ஆசிரியரான திரு.அருளானந்தம் செல்வச்சந்திரன்(நேரு மாஸ்டர்-பிரான்ஸ்);, சட்டத்தரணி வே. தில்லைநாதன் அவர்களின் புகைப் படத்தினை தந்து உதவிய ஓய்வுநிலை உதவிக் கல்விப் பணிப்பாளர் திரு.எஸ்.கே.சதாசிவம், திதி வெண்பாவுடன் கூடிய திருமதி தங்கம்மா நடராசா அவர்களின் புகைப்படத்தினை தந்து உதவிய கல்லூரியின் பழைய மாணவன் திரு.ஆறுமுகம் செந்தில்நாதன்(சுவிற்சலாந்து) ஆகியோருக்கு எமது நன்றி.