AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 83 of 153 the interest taken by the OIC ECHS Polyclinic, Lt Col D S Reddy in improving the facilities there for Ex-Servicemen and their dependents. He hoped that more personnel would join the scheme as it would benefit them. Talk by Shri S Muthiah, MBE 29. Introduction of Shri S Muthiah by the President. Shri Muthiah, who was to deliver a talk on the history of Madras arrived bang on time and was received by the President and other members of the Managing Committee. While introducing Shri Muthiah to the audience, the President briefly highlighted his achievements on some of the important assignments held by him. He also brought out the painstaking efforts he had taken in researching history and his invaluable contribution to preserving heritage. 30. Shri Muthiah was educated in Sri Lanka, India and the US and acquired degrees of B.Sc (Engineering), A.B. and M.A. (International Affairs). He served with The Times of Ceylon as their foreign news editor, features editor and in charge of the Sunday Times from 1951 to 1968. He also represented the London News Chronicle and The Observer, London around the same period. From 1968 to 1990 he was the in charge of TT Maps and Publications and continues today as its President <eligible>I meritus. More than 15 titles a year were published all conceived, edited, designed and production supervised by him. He continues with the TTK Group as its Director, Group Communications and its prize-winning house journal, TTK Spectrum. He also writes for various airline, travel and hotel glossies. Since 1991 he has been editing a city fortnightly concerned with the City’s heritage and environment called Madras Musings. He is also a popular and regular columnist with the Hindu. 31. He has authored 16 books with historical backgrounds, some of which are - Madras Rediscovered, Tales of Old and New Madras, Madras - The Gracious City, Madras - Its Past and Present, Queen of the Coromandel, The <eligible>Chelliar Heritage, The Splendour of South India and Indo-Lankans: A 200-year Saga. He has also been teaching journalism and print production from 1972 at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Anna University and University of Madras. Helped found India’s first degree course in Printing Technology at Anna University in 1980. He was also on the Advisory Board of the Regional School of Printing, Madras. He has been an office bearer of the Madras Printers’ and Lithographers’ Association, the All India Federation of Master Printers, the Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association of South India, the Federation of Indian Publishers, the Indian Geography Association, the Indian National Cartographic Association and the Public Relations Society of India (Tamil Nadu Chapter). 32. In recognition of his work on Heritage and Environment Conservation in Madras, Shri S Muthiah was awarded the MBE by the Queen of England in March 2002. Shri. S. Muthiah’s Address 33. Keeping the interest of the gathering in view, Shri Muthiah chose to speak on the heritage and interests concerning the Defence Services. The British presence in Madras could be divided into three parts - Age of Trades (1639 - 1748), Age of Expansion (1749 - 1858) and the Age of the Raj (1858 -1947). The period thereafter i.e. from 1947 could be termed as the Age of the Political Growth in Madras. 34. He stated that there was no concept of Imperialism or Conquest during the first 100 years. Basically countries like France, Portugal, Netherlands and Britain came to India for