Category Archives: General

SANTIAGO ANTHONY AYYA TAMBI D’MEL

General, Paravar Personalities, ,

THE RETAIL CHAIN GIANT

Raja Vaiz of Mumbai who reads this website regularly and interacts with me,made a request that I should write about the D’mels about whom I made a passing reference as successful businessmen in COLOMBO in my article on CRUZ FERNANDEZ OF TUTICORIN.

The only D’mel I remember was the one who was an engineer who prepared for the Indian Railway Service Engineer examination in 1967. I have lost touch with him thereafter and I do not know where he is now. Therefore writing on this D’mel is out of question.

When I was pondering over on how to comply with the request of Raja Vaiz , it flashed in to my mind my father once mentioning to us about one D’ mel of Vembar who was a very successful businessman in Colombo. I started searching for the material on this D’mel and I chanced on two references.One by THOMAS ROCHE in a translated form and the other in the book INDO SRILANKANS by MUTHAIAH, the well known historian of Chennai.

Santiago Anthony Ayya Tambi D’mel of Vembar was one of those who made it good in Ceylon in the last quarter of 19th and first quarter of twentieth century. Those were days when the Paravas really made a mark in Ceylon. The I.X.Pereira and his offspiring made a mark in politics and people like D’ mel made a mark in business in different parts of Ceylon.

Our connections with Ceylon is old –very old. The Earliest movement of Paravars from southern sea shores was in the 12th century to 15 th century when they were recruited by the Sinhala kings as their sailors and soldiers. The Second movement was when Paravars were settled by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century to which already there is a reference in this website in one of the articles. The subsequent settlement was when there was movement of thonis from our shores to Ceylon shores and the last was when there was cotton boom in Tuticorin hinterland when Paravars felt that they could make good in the island as businessmen clerks and traders.

It is one such migrant with very little school education –he studied in the elementary school of Vembar parish- who made it big in Ceylon is SANTIAGO ANTHONY AYYA TAMBI D’MEL. Nick named as KAYALAN PERAN, in Vembar, denoting his ancestory to PUNNAIKAIL, and known also as sena ana annachi in business circles in Colombo and Vembar , Santiago Antony Ayya Tambi D’mel became proficient in business skills and English in a very short period of arriving in Ceylon. He joined as an assistant clerk in a Nattukottai chettiar firm in 1879 for measly pay of rs 25 and within four years he left to join Abdulalli and Company =a company of exporters and importers.

At abdulali he worked very sincerely and won the approbation of his mudalali .The mudalai liked him so much that when he wanted to retire from the business he gladly handed over the business toD’mel and asked him to continue. He also saw to it that all his old customers did not switch over to any one else but continue with D’mel. With his blessings D’mel prospered.

As he was doing very well in the export and import business he saw a good chance opening before him for import of onion. So he commissioned his kith and kin to buy large tracts of land in the hinterland of Tuticorin and made them cultivate onion to be exported to Ceylon. He made very good money in this business and he made his relatives also benefit by this venture.

While he was busy importing onion and distributing all over Ceylon he chanced to see an advertisement asking for agents to distribute oil and petroleum products throughout Ceylon. The knowledge he gained in distributing onion would come to his help,he thought, and therefore in the company of Pandaram Sivan Pillai he applied for the agency and successfully got it.He formulated a company called Sivan and D’mel and distributed Kerosene in the island. Thereafter he exported Kerosene to Tuticorin and Orissa. Between July 26 th and 29th ,he recorded in his diary that he exported 2550, barells and 2750 barells respectively to Tuticorin and Orissa. . He named the kerosene THE RISING SUN.

The knowledge he gained in export of kerosene brought him further business. A company called SAMUEL and COMPANY allotted him in 1893, the agency for exporting Kerosene in ships and with this D”mel emerged as one of the big exporters of Colombo.

Luck favoured him further.The Asiatic Petrol Company which was started in 1902 appointed D’mel as a sub agent of their company and wanted him to distribute kerosene throughout Ceylon. The company commissioned D’mel to visit Madras to study the distribution system obtaining in Madras. He studied the system and on his recommendation, the Asiatic Petrol Company authorized him to set up distribution depots in different parts of the island and use bullock carts to deliver Kerosene at the door steps.He utilized his Sivan and D’Mel Company to do this distribution with 50 central distribution depots and bullock carts to carry kerosene to inner parts of the island.

Who constituted the Sivan and D’mel company? It is people from Vembar. The native affinity, the consanguinity of people who constituted the company, coupled with the benevolence and generosity of D’ mel to his staff made the distribution a grand success.

D”mel gave jobs to all those Paravas who came to him. He ordered that those who come to Colombo seeking jobs should be offered shelter and food by his company till they find their jobs. To ward off homesickness of those who had come to join his company he established a club called Immaculate Jubilee club for which he was president.

Back home at Vembar ,he was affectionate to one and all. Not a function or a ceremony at Vembar in any family passed off without his presence.His munificence to church was impressive. He contributed to church workers rs 15000/- and for the construction of the church according to Jesuit records he contributed rs 50,000/= a princely sum. In the entrance of the church there is a tablet praising his generosity in Latin and announcing that all that he needed back is a yearly mass for him from the church.

Though he was not formally schooled he mastered English and accountancy.maintained a diary.The details of barrels of kerosene sent had been culled out by his chroniclers. His contribution to Ceylon business, to say in modern business parlance is that he architected the RETAIL CHAIN. Should we not call him THE RETAIL CHAIN GIANT.

BY A.X. ALEXANDER

RAO BAHADUR CRUZ FERNANDEZ (1869—1930)

General, Paravar Personalities,

The first half of the twentieth century threw up many stalwarts in our community. In these pages we have already referred to a few. The Pereiras and the D’Mells who did very well in business in Srilanka; the Mascarenhases who did well as Tamil poets; the Rodriguezes who were part of Madurai Tamil sangam and specialized in Chithira kavis; and the Moraises who championed the labourers; the innumerable priests and nuns who adorned the firmament of catholic church, the Lobos who excelled as teachers – all these have been alluded to in this site somewhere in some context. Continue reading RAO BAHADUR CRUZ FERNANDEZ (1869—1930) →

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 5

General, Paravar Cuisine,

தொத்து மந்திர சிகிச்சை ( Contagious Magic Cure)

பிறருடைய தீயபார்வையினால் உடல் நலக்குறைவு ஏற்ப்ட்டதாகக் கருதினால் அதற்குப் பின்வரும் முறையில் பரதவர்களிடம் பரிகாரம் நிகழும். Continue reading பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 5 →

N.R. RAJARATNAM – From Kilakarai To Edinburgh

General, Paravar Personalities

Those of you who would have read the Novel KORKAI by JOE D’CRUZ would perhaps remember his graphic description of festivities associated with the PON–THER in one of the exclusive chapters. In this Chapter, he mentions the various dignitaries seated in the dais witnessing the movement of the PON–THER among whom there is a reference to one Prof. DR. RAJARATNAM. Who is this Dr. Rajaratnam ?. On this, a little later. Continue reading N.R. RAJARATNAM – From Kilakarai To Edinburgh →

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 4

General, Paravar Cuisine

ஒத்த மந்திர சிகிச்சை ( Homeopathie Magic Cure)

கை கால் போன்ற உறுப்புக்களில் காயம் அல்லது முறிவு எற்பட்டாலோ கண், மூக்கு, காது போன்ற உறுப்புக்களில் நோய் எதுவும் எற்ப்பட்டாலோ வெள்ளி அல்லது பித்தளையால் கண் – கால் – கை போன்ற உறுப்புக்களைச் செய்து காணிக்கையாகத் தருவதாக நேர்ந்து கொள்கிறார்கள். நோய் குணமானால் வேளாங்கன்னி ஆரோக்கிய மாதா கோவிலிலோ, புளியம்பட்டி, உவரி ஆகிய ஊர்களில் உள்ள புனித அந்தோணியார் கோவிலிலோ இவைகளைக் காணிக்கையாகச் செலுத்துகிறார்கள். Continue reading பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 4 →

KAMUTHY – A PARAVA STATION – A NOSTALGIC NOTE

General, Our Communities,

Fr.Caussanell who wrote on the Paravas lists out a number of inland villages in the erstwhile Tinnevely district to which the Paravas had migrated for different reasons .No scientific study is still made about different reasons for this migration in Tinnevely District. I wish some youngster does this. Continue reading KAMUTHY – A PARAVA STATION – A NOSTALGIC NOTE →

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 3

General, Paravar Cuisine,

தொற்று வியாதிகளுக்கான சிகிச்சை

காலரா, அம்மை போன்ற கொடிய தொற்று நோய்கள் பரதவர்கள் வாழும் பகுதிகளில் பரவினால் செபஸ்தியார் என்னும் புனிதரின் உருவத்தை வீதிகளில் ஊர்வலமாக எடுத்து வருகிறார்கள். (இந்துக்களிடம் மாரியம்மன் வசிக்கும் இடத்தைப் பரதவர்களிடம் புனித செபஸ்தியார் வகிக்கிறார்.) இவ்வாறு ஊர்வலமாகச் சப்பரத்தில் எடுத்து வரும்பொழுது உப்பையும், மிளகையும் கலந்து வீதிகளில் தூவுவதுமுண்டு. Continue reading பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – 3 →

Professor Mrs. Therese Lobo, M.A., L.T. (1914 – 2006)

General, Paravar Personalities, , ,

“She was a mother, not only to her daughter, Christine, but to every student who studied under her and every younger colleague who worked with her”. This was the gist of the tributes paid to Professor Mrs. Therese Lobo, by Dr. Miss Agnes Fernando, Dr. Mrs. Christina Rajkumar and Mrs. Regina Stephen, who spoke at the 30th day Requiem Mass. The first two had started their career under her Headship in the Department of English, Holy Cross College and the third had been her student. Continue reading Professor Mrs. Therese Lobo, M.A., L.T. (1914 – 2006) →

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – பாகம் 2

General, Paravar Cuisine, ,

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் ம்ருத்துவத்தில் இடம் பெற்றுள்ள சில மந்திர மருத்துவ முறைகளைக் காண்போம்.

புனித நீர் – புனித எண்ணெய் மருத்துவம்
தண்ணீர், எண்ணெய் ஆகியனவற்றைத் தெய்வங்கள் மற்றும் புனிதர்களின் உருவங்களுடனும் இறந்த குருக்களின் கல்லறைகளுடனும் தொடர்புபடுத்துவதன் மூலம் அவற்றிற்கு மந்திர ஆற்றல் (Magic Power) எற்படுவதாக இவர்கள் நம்புகிறார்கள். இவ்வாறு மந்திர ஆற்றல் பெற்ற தண்ணீர் , எண்ணெய் ஆகியனவற்றை நோய் தீர்க்கும் ம்ருந்தாகப் ப்யன்படுத்தும் வழக்கம் பரதவர்களிடம் உள்ளது. Continue reading பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் – பாகம் 2 →

பரதவர்களின் நாட்டார் மருத்துவம்

General, Paravar Cuisine,

பரதவர்களிடம் வழங்கும் மருத்துவத்தினையும் நாம் _(1) இயற்கை சார்ந்த நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் ,(2) மந்திர-சமய மருத்துவம்_ என இரண்டு வகையாகப் பிரிக்கலாம். பரதவர்களின் இயற்கை சார்ந்த நாட்டார் மருத்துவம் என்பது கடல் விலங்குகள், தாவரங்கள், கரையிலுள்ள விலங்குகள், தாவரங்கள் ஆகியவற்றுடன் தொடர்புடையது.