Indian Coffee House, Pondicherry

Five years ago, with a tall glass of cold coffee and a sandwich, I was introduced to the Family Room of the Indian Coffee House on Jawaharlal Nehru Street. It was around the time Yann Martel’s novel “Life of Pi” came along. The stor y of Piscine Molitor Patel was born in this coffee house, where Martel had what almost everyone has – coffee and French toast.

The Indian Coffee House, a favourite haunt of many Puducherrians, has been shut down and moved to a temporary location. A banner, outside the more than 100-year-old building, announces that this heritage structure will be pulled down to make way for a new structure.

The 220-strong workers’ cooperative, which has been running the coffee house since 1958, now wants a “modern” building.

The Indian Coffee House Employees Cooperative Union (CITU) honorary president T. Murugan and president K. Ramachandran said the workers are awaiting permission from the Pondicherry Planning Authority (PPA). “We want funds from the Government, like they give to hotels for renovation. We will retain the French architectural patterns in the new building.”

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who recalled the days when he chatted with friends in the coffee house, has provided Rs. 50 lakh to construct the new building. The amount includes a Rs. 12.5-lakh loan. “We want a strong structure to come up so that the workers and guests will be safe in the building.”

MLA and former Tourism Minister K. Lakshminarayanan recalled how as a student of Law College he used to sit and chat with his friends at the coffee house. “Since it’s a workers’ cooperative, the service and food are incomparable. I think if the present heritage building can be retained with the interests of the workers in mind, it would the right balance.”

M. Kandar Selvan the Pondicherrry Planning Authority Member Secretary said that the workers union has submitted a building plan for approval but it has not yet been approved. “We normally forward the proposals regarding heritage structures to INTACH, In this case, they opine not to demolish the building. Their suggestion is, however, not binding on the PPA.”

INTACH’s Ajit Koujalgi said there have been other buildings like the Le Café on Goubert Salai and the Hotel de L’Orient that have been in a similar condition, and they were successfully renovated. “Before renovation, the building that now houses The Hotel de L Orient would leak for days together after rains. We solved these problems and have managed to retain the old structure. Experts, who specialise in heritage buildings, took a look at the coffee house and said that the structure is quite strong. We will be able to restore it to its former glory.”

Yann Martel, who wrote of the House’s big room with green walls, a high ceiling with fans and identical tables and chairs in his book, has written to the Government of Puducherry urging them not to pull down the existing building. He has termed it “lovely” and “a part of Pondicherry’s architectural heritage”. He writes, “Pondicherry stands out among cities of South India because of its unique architecture. To destroy one’s inheritance for the sake of a glimmering future is a tricky business. You may end up with a loss and no gain. I believe preservation and development are the better match. Take care of what you have while planning for what you want.”

To demolish heritage or not is the question.

So, perhaps, it’s time to be heard.

Source : THE HINDU

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