Ooty: As the hills here observed the 231st birth anniversary of John Sullivan, founder of Modern Nilgiris, the district administration paid homage at the Sullivan Memorial at Kanneri Mukku village in Kotagiri near here.
On this day, the Nilgiris Documentation Centre(NDC) appealed for Tamil Nadu Governor’s intervention to set up an official memorial for Sullivan at Ooty, the head quarters of Nilgiris.
While the Modern Nilgiris is celebrating is bicentenary now, the birth anniversary of John Sullivan too attained a sort of significance.
Ms. J. Innocent Divya, the Collector of Nilgiris led the district by paying homage to John Sullivan at his memorial at Kotagiri on Saturday morning at brief function held there.
Meanwhile, Mr. D.Venugopal, the Director of NDC, sent a memorandum to the State Governor Mr. Banwarilal Purohit, to set up an official memorial for John Sullivan at Ooty town limits.
In the memorandum, it is stated that John Sullivan left behind two lasting legacies. One is the Ryotwari system which is now the bedrock of Indian agriculture. Second, the Nilgiris, the first hill station of the British empire. Sullivan personally laid the foundation for tourism and horticulture in the Nilgiris and foretold the potential for tea and hydro power which continue to flourish even after two centuries.
“As June 15 marks his birth anniversary of John Sullivan, we appeal to the Honorable Governor to recommend to the government of Tamil Nadu to set up an official memorial for Sullivan at Ooty town in the form of a permanent exhibition of his life and contribution, at the Resource Centre for Tribal Culture at the Garden road in Ooty. NDC which has been researching Sullivan for more than 35 years will volunteer to curate the exhibition. The NDC also appeals that steps may be taken to in include Sullivan’s contributions in the text books for students for which NDC will provide all documentary evidence. A stamp may be issued in John Sullivan’s honour,” it is stated.
