Synopsis
Endless waves of Europeans arrived, lured by India's wealth, beginning with the Portuguese, who were frustrated by fierce local resistance along the Malabar and Canara Coasts. Dutch mastery in South Asia was halted by the king of Travancore. French attempts were outmanoeuvred by the British, seasoned traders in the region. Amidst petty conflicts among native rulers that paved the way for the colonialists, Southern Indians, led by local leaders, fiercely resisted colonization. Their struggle, spanning late 18th and early 19th centuries, posed a significant challenge to British supremacy. This book narrates their defiance with flair, often overlooked in historical narratives fixated on Plassey.
5:15 PM Registration & Hi-Tea
6:00 PM Welcome Address
Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM
Executive Director
Madras Management Association
Address by the Author & Launch of the book -
Unconquered Horizons: Southern India’s
Resistance Icons Programme
Capt D P Ramachandran (Veteran)
Founder & Chairman
Colours of Glory Foundation
Address by the Chief Guest
Dr Nanditha Krishna
Historian, Environmentalist, Author & Founder, C.P. Art Centre
Special Address
Air Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM, VM, Ph.D (Veteran)
Chairman & President, The Peninsula Foundation
Address by the Guest of Honour
Rear Admiral R K Dhingra, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding
Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area
Q&A
Vote of Thanks 7:30 PM
Dr Nanditha Krishna
Historian, Environmentalist and Author & Founder, C.P. Art Centre
Dr Nanditha Krishna is a versatile personality, who has left her imprint in multiple fields. A Chennai-based historian, environmentalist and author, she holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Indian Culture from Bombay University and has been a Research Guide at CPR Institute of Indological Research, affiliated to the University of Madras. She is also the founder of C.P. Art Centre, CPR Institute of Indological Research and CPR Environmental Education Centre in Chennai, as well as the Shakunthala Jagannathan Museum of Kanchipuram, apart from several educational institutions. She is currently the President of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation. She has been responsible for the revival of Kurumba painting, Kota pottery, and traditional drawing and painting in Mamallapuram; as well as for introducing Tamil folk art forms in schools. Her achievements include the restoration of the Varahishwara Temple in Damal and a 450-year-old house in Kanchipuram. Furthermore, she has pioneered the documentation of India’s ecological heritage traditions She has authored an amazingly large number of books, 23 in all, on an array of topics, varying from Indian art, culture, religion and environment, to Sacred Animals of India, Sacred Trees of India, and Hinduism and Religion, besides Madras Then Chennai Now and Madras-Chennai - Its History and Environment. A tireless worker, she has also produced several research papers and popular articles. Dr. Krishna is the recipient of several awards, including the Devi Award, Nari Shakti Puraskar, Stree Ratna and Outstanding Woman of Asia and a D.Litt. from Vidyasagar University, West Bengal She has recently been awarded the National Fellowship by the Indian Council of Historical Research.
Air
Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM, VM, Ph.D
Chairman & President, The Peninsula Foundation
(Veteran)
Air Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM VM Ph.D (Veteran) is an Indian Air Force veteran of 39 years ’ service and an outstanding fighter pilot, who has been an Experimental Test Pilot at the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment and a Fighter Combat Leader of the Tactics & Air Combat Development Establishment. By virtue of holding significant command and staff appointments, he gathered extensive experience in Defence Strategy, Research & Development, Space Strategy and Electronics & Information Warfare; before retiring while being the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, responsible for policy, plans and force development. The President of India has honoured him by the awards of Athi Vishsht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal. A soldierscholar, he holds a Ph.D in Defence & Strategic Studies from the University of Madras, a postgraduate diploma in Finance Management and a Senior Fellowship in International & National Security from Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School of Governance. He is an alumnus of the National Defence College, New Delhi. The Air Marshal is the Founder-President of ‘The Peninsula Foundation’ a Chennai-based, non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research think tank. He is also a strategic consultant for aerospace and defence industries.
Rear Admiral R K Dhingra, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding
Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area
Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune, was commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on January 1, 1992, and joined the Submarine Arm in 1994 A Navigation & Direction specialist, he has served on numerous naval ships and submarines, including as Watchkeeping Officer on INS Kapan (Guided Missile Corvette) and INS Sindhuratna (Kilo Class submarine), Navigating Officer of INS Vagir (Foxtrot Class submarine) and INS Sindhushastra (Kilo Class submarine), Executive Officer of INS Sindhuraj (Kilo Class submarine), and Commanding Officer of INS Vagli, INS Sindhughosh, INS Gomati, and INS Vajrabahu.
His staff appointments include roles as Staff Officer (Operations) and Commander Submarines at INS Vajrabahu, and the dual-hatted position of Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) and Commanding Officer INS Vajrabahu, overseeing submarine operations in Mumbai and Karwar. He also served as Project Manager (Ops & Trg) in HQATVP and Principal Director in the Directorate of Submarine Operations at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi.
Promoted to Flag Rank on April 25, 2023, he now serves as the Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area. Rear Admiral Dhingra holds a postgraduate degree in Defence Studies from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and an M.Phil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University He received the Chief of Naval Staff Commendation in 2004 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019. He is a keen golfer and avid reader.
Capt D P Ramachandran (Veteran)
Founder & Chairman
Colours of Glory Foundation
Captain D P Ramachandran is a distinguished war veteran and accomplished military historian, who has authored four books and numerous articles on military history. He is the Founder of Colours of Glory Foundation, pioneer organization in India promoting awareness of the country’s rich military heritage, which has carved a niche for itself with multiple outdoor and indoor activities during the past eight years of its existence
