Bangalore Meri Jaan: AA DINAGALU :The story of how an armoury went on to become a school in Bangalore and the contribution of THE ANGLO INDIAN community to our city and education: Today, at No. 26, Wellington St, Richmond Town, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560025 you would find a quaint little bungalow disguised as a school called the Frank Anthony Junior School. This was the erstwhile Richmond Institute named after Anglo- Indian philanthropist, Mr. Thomas Richmond who also lent Richmond Town its name.After the 5th standard , students would normally get inducted into the mother outfit FAPS in Cambridge Road, Halasuru after a cursory interview. The Richmond Institute, located on Wellington Street (below), built between 1880 and 1900, was originally a grant from the military for the use of pensioners as a Reading Room. The building was also used as an Armoury for the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers who vacated on the completion of their building on Cubbon Road (B.R.V.). It was also used as the All Saints Church Institute during the time of Canon Foley and the Resident Mr. Robertson. Finally, it became a club for the pensioners of Richmond Town, where there were evenings of cards, sing songs, bonfires, tennis, dances and all that one would like to have as entertainment right till the late 1960s. Today this service building is taken over by the Frank Antonys Junior School, and run by the All India Anglo-Indian Association, and the Club activities cease to function for the public The Richmond institute has had a varied and checkered history and contrary to belief it derives its name not from the town (which took the name of the Britisher Richmond) but from the late outstanding Anglo- Indian philanthropist, Mr. Thomas Richmond. The Richmond Institute was meant for the association of pensioners and retired members of the European and Anglo- Indian communities incorporated with the Registrar of Companies and Societies of Karnataka. In 1945-46, a Brigadier Chatelier used to hold meetings at the Richmond Institute. At that time Mrs Constance Coombes and her three daughters especially the eldest Winsome ( very much in England and is still teaching dancing) married Willy Woollen and started organising regular dances, housie, whist drive, badminton tournaments in the main hall of the Richmond Institute. In the back room billiards and snooker was played and in tennis in the courtyard. Now a little about the school, Queen Victorias proclamation of I November 1858 brought an official end to the Mutiny. What was salvaged from the happenings of 1857 stands out as a shining monument to the courage and devotion to duty of the Anglo- Indian Community. In spite of having been subjected to economic and social disabilities, the Anglo-Indians formed civilian regiments and fought shoulder to shoulder with the most seasoned of British and Indian soldiers. As part of the recognition of the fighting qualities of the Community, it was announced by the Government that a regiment of Anglo-Indians from all parts of the country would be raised for service in Bengal. On 28 July 1860, Bishop George Cotton, the Metropolitan of Calcutta, pleaded for the setting up of well-equipped schools for the Community and Lord Canning, the Viceroy, pleaded ardently for fair play to the Anglo-Indians which he argued would become a source of strength and usefulness to British rule in India. Unfortunately Lord Cannings viceroyship came to an end in 1862 and it was not till 13 August 1881, that Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy, issued a minute in which the government of India decided on 15 October, 1881, to make European education, which included the Anglo-Indians, a department of Public Instruction. Thus came into being, schools referred to as Anglo-Indian schools, which were meant for Anglo-Indians only and were heavily supported by the Government of India. However after independence in 1947, these financial benefits to the schools run for the Anglo-Indian Community were gradually fazed out until at the end of ten years from the commencement of the Constitution of India, that is, by the year l961, these concessions had ceased. The next important figure in the history of the Community was Sir Henry Gidney. A well known and capable surgeon, Gidney got his first taste of public life in 1918 when he was elected president of the Bombay Branch of the Anglo- Indian Empire League, an organisation which had been founded in 1908 by Charles Palmer ....Consequent to the Montague Chelmsford Reforms, the Anglo-Indian Community was given a seat in the newly formed Central Legislature Assembly. Gidney, who had emerged as the undisputed leader of the Community, was nominated by the Viceroy in 1921 to the Anglo- Indian seat in the Central Legislative Assembly. His chief concern was the employment. of Anglo-Indians in the railways, in which a preponderant section of the Community were employed. When Gidney entered the Assembly there were approximately 11,000 Anglo-Indians employed in the railways; in ten years the number had increased to 14,000. On 9 April 1926, at a conference attended by the representative of the various Anglo-Indian groups from different parts of the country, it was decided that all the groups would come together with one purpose and one voice. Only the branches in Allahabad and Madras did not join, although in 1929 the Allahabad branch became part of this single organisation. The accredited leader was Sir Henry Gidney and the organisation came to be known as the All-India Anglo-Indian Association, a name which had been introduced by Sir Henry Gidney through are solution passed in 1919, at the Allahabad conference of the Empire League. Unfortunately Gidney died in 1942 a disillusioned man because he received nothing for the Community from the Cripps Mission which had visited India about that time. Sir Henry Gidney was succeeded by Frank Anthony, a brilliant young lawyer from Jabalpur, on whose shoulders had fallen the task of finding a place for the Anglo-Indian Community. In 1942, Anthony issued his clarion call to the Community: We are Anglo Indians by Community. Between 1959 and 1963, the All-India Education Institution had set up three public schools, named after Frank Anthony, in the cities of Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore. Today the All-India Anglo-Indian Education Institution is in a position to fund the development of the Frank Anthony Schools under its charge as well as to spend over Rs twelve lakhs annually in scholarships and awards paid through the Branches of the All-India Anglo-Indian Association. Once headed by Maj. General Robert Williams, and then by his successor Neil OBrien, whose son is the TV celeb and TMC Spokesperson Derek O Brien. Incidentally, Gidney is also a house in the school with flag colour, green.In 1971, Mrs Aureen Rodrigues took over as headmistress (of the Frank Anthony Junior School) in the Richmond institute premises. A real kind soul she was, who was strict but appreciated any form of expression creative or academic from her students. info sources: All-India Anglo-Indian Association, friends and family
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 07:29:55 +0000
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