The Thalassery Revenue Reference Library is a treasure trove of history. Thousands of important revenue records of the country and the state, especially Malabar, are stored here. But curiously enough, the government is yet to appoint a librarian to curate these documents.

It is the only reference library under the revenue department outside of the state capital. The valuable books and records here throw light on various historical events of North Malabar; some of the most important ones pertain to the British Raj of the 19th century.

Records not available elsewhere in the state or country are available at the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library. Among them are detailed records of the revenue department, which used to handle functions that are now handled by various departments. But the library, housed in a beautiful building in the Thalassery sub-collector office compound, is now no one’s baby.

Courtesy: Archaeology Department’s oversight

It is the interest in history that A.C. Mathew, a revenue divisional officer here in 1996-2001, had that led to the setting up of the library. Mathew and his colleagues went around revenue offices from Manjeri to Kasaragod on holidays to find these books and documents and bring them to Thalassery, with permission from the department.

 In 1992, the archaeological department had collected thousands of documents from Thalassery sub-collector’s office. The documents stored at the library are those that escaped the scrutiny of archaeology officials. The RDO and other employees of the revenue department spent from their own pockets to preserve these documents in plastic covers. Later, following newspaper reports, then minister K.E.Ismail allotted Rs 1 lakh to have those books bounded.

The library building was built on a grant of Rs 3 lakh given as part of the central government’s project to strengthen the revenue department. In between, there was an attempt to move the books and documents to Thiruvananthapuram, but then chief minister E.K.Nayanar intervened and stopped it. The public was also allowed to refer these documents. There are many who have done research here for their doctoral degrees.

In 2010, then revenue minister K.P. Rajendran and home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan visited the library and gave the nod for the creation of a librarian’s post. But even after five years, the post is vacant. Apparently, the officials are still in a search for a revenue department staffer who is also qualified in library science!

From the collection:

There are many valuable documents here related to the freedom struggle, from leaders’ speeches to secret police reports to administrative procedures:

In 1922, those interned in Kannur central jail over the Mappila rebellion had attacked jail wardens with knives and other weapons procured from the jail kitchen. Several were killed in the shooting that followed. The reports on their post-mortems as well as information related to the rebellion not available elsewhere are in the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library.

The properties of those who were banished to Andamans over the rebellion were confiscated. The list goes like this: a sleeping mat, iron rimmed pestles for grounding rice, a red oxen with horns curved forward…

Another document is the order issued by William Logan, the sub-collector here in 1860, to shoot tigers that were terrorising travellers on the way to Ancharakandi.

Also available are documents on encounters with police at Morazha, Thalassery Jawaharghat and Mattannoor; and those about Gandhiji’s fast at Yarvada jail and the Agakhan Palace. Among the documents are the various orders issued by British officials on the steps to be taken if Gandhiji dies during his fast, such as not allowing black flags or even mourning processions.

There are also other interesting documents. Among them is a complaint by local people that a revenue official called Krishnan Nair refusing to accept property tax at the office and instead going to homes to collect it; also he had demanded bribe in the form of cow’s ghee and chicken eggs while visiting homes.

Another document shows that an Anglo-Indian in the service of the British army had entrusted the care of his mentally ill mother to the sub-collector as per the law. The official put her in the care of the Sacred Heart Convent. The letters that followed between the woman’s son, who served in the North-West Frontier Province, and the sub-collector and the convent authorities show the selfishness of man. The son writes to the sub-collector and the convent about how much he earns and asserts that despite saving as much as he could he cannot give more than Rs 2 per month for her care.

Among the thousands of priceless documents available here are Logan’s Malabar Manual, the work called Treaties and Engagement of British Affairs in Malabar published in 1870, the Manual of British Administration in Malabar Presidency published by the Madras government in 1882, a true copy of Magna Carta, the report on the commission that probed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Rowlatt Act.

Will the authorities wake up to ensure this history of north Malabar is preserved before it is claimed by time and neglect for ever?

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> News> Kerala / by V.K. Jayanthan / Sunday – June 21st, 2015