French citizens of the tiny and picturesque former colony Puducherry cast their presidential votes on Sunday, yet many have never been to the country nor speak its language. Lying on India’s southeastern coast and a favourite with tourists for its colonial architecture, Puducherry came under French rule in 1742, which it administered till 1954, seven years after India’s independence from Britain.
In 1962, India and France exchanged the instruments of ratification under which France ceded to India full sovereignty over the territories it held. The treaty also offered the population of 70,000 to waive Indian nationality — and some 7,000 opted for France.
A majority of “Franco-Pondicherrians” — the only French community abroad not formed out of expatriates and who represent some 70 per cent of the 9,600 French living in India — have never been to France and only speak Tamil.
But few want to miss the presidential election, and as the four polling stations opened, queues of eager voters had already lined up outside under the blistering heat.
“I am a French citizen, I have the right and the duty to vote,” said Marie Jeanne d’Arc, wearing a bottle green sari and a nose ring, while police in red hats monitored the crowds. Puducherrians were allowed to chose their family name and some picked those of their heroes or writers such as Racine or Corneille.
Others from more modest backgrounds took common words, such as the days of the week.
Some families became French in the 19th Century, after completing the “act of renunciation” to Indian nationality.
“I came to vote to prove I am French,” said 96-year-old Srinivasan, wearing a white tunic and holding a black umbrella just before he headed off down Avenue Goubert on the seafront. — AFP
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Big b to build college in u.p. in Ash name
Amita Verma
Lucknow, April 22
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has now taken over the responsibility of getting a degree college, named after his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, constructed in Daulatpur village in Barabanki district.
The foundation stone for the project was laid in January 2008 in the presence of the entire Bachchan family and then a close family friend Amar Singh. The college was to be constructed by Nishtha foundation, headed by Ms Jaya Prada.
The project, for unknown reasons, never took off and in view of the changed equations between the Bachchans and Mr Singh and Ms Prada, the delay was only expected.
Mr Rishikesh Yadav, a representative of Mr Bachchan, has now confirmed that the project will be taken up by the Amitabh Bachchan Sewa Sansthan and the land earmarked for the college had been transferred to the Sansthan from the Nishtha Foundation.