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Return to the barracks

The office of the Police Head Quarters has a history that can be traced back to the end of the 18 Century

PHOTO: T. SINGARAVELOU

LAYERS OF TIME The building of the Police Head Quarters changed with different projects

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the office of the Police Head Quarters was known as "Naval Infantry Quarters". From 1857 to 1868 a contingent of French soldiers was lodged there, regardless of the treaties signed with England. But this premises has a much older history that can be traced back to the end of the 18th Century.

Around 1789, a clerk of the Third French Indian Company named Combemale established a store here, next to his house. His ambition was to sell it to the Company. But the Company lost all it had in 1794. Combemale, ruined, had to set off again to the island of Reunion where he died in 1811. His immense store went to one of his creditors.

English occupation

Nevertheless, since wholesale trade with France was dying out under the English occupation, such a warehouse was of little use to the merchants of Pondicherry. So in 1816, with the return of the French, Governor Dupuy decided to rent out "Combemale Store" to the colony. He suggested buying it for France, but did not get any serious response from the authorities. He therefore decided to buy it in 1822 without the consent of the ministry. When the French authorities came to know of this, Minister Clermont-Tonnerre reproached him saying that it was "an inconsistent decision" and demanded an immediate resale. But, the building was not sold, probably because nobody in Pondicherry could afford it.

In these circumstances, plans were made and preserved at the Archives Centre in Aix en Provence, where we can find them even today. They show that the general organisation of the place was not very different from the actual one. To the North, on the government square, was located an entrance with a pediment and a building where one of the stores and workshops was situated. More towards the South, in a long building stretching from West to East, was another store, a house and offices. There were two yards — a functional one at the North and a private one at the South. The latter was, in fact, a garden with benches.

The construction was not very different from the plan, but the projects of Minister Chabrol and of his Governor, Desbassyns, transformed it little by little after 1827. The aim of Chabrol, was to gather in this place the civil service of the colony, and so to construct a house on the foundation that already was. Desbassyns, on the other hand, wanted to build additional warehouses for wood and salt.

After the departure of Desbassyns, nothing was done as per his wishes. A long shed was built for wood, but in the South, alongside the street of the Barracks. We can see it even today, the one that was built in 1830. This is one of the oldest colonial buildings in Pondicherry, and in a state resembling the original building. During the same period, another store was built in the Northeast. A part of the former offices was allocated to store rice imported from Karaikal. This rice was used during famines. Finally, in the 1840s, the house on the western side was constructed. It was allocated to the pharmacy of the government.

The general store functioned till 1857. The same year, a decision was taken that surprised everyone. Taking advantage of the pervading uncertainty due to the Sepoys' great mutiny and the preparations for the expedition in Indo-China, the ministry decided to station a company of the 4th regiment of the Infantry of Navy at Pondicherry. It issued an order to house the French soldiers in existing buildings keeping in mind the ventilation of place. For Governor D'Ubraye, only the general stores of the colony fulfilled these conditions, and housing a French company at Pondicherry was worth this sacrifice. Engineer Louis Guerre was asked to adapt the principal building of the store. He did it although he was against it. He began the work at the end of 1857, in a hurry since he had to finish it before the arrival of The Dordogne and his cargo of soldiers in March of the following year. His main work was to add galleries, to pierce sixty doors and windows and to elevate the floor. The barracks was done according to his plans, despite the critics and his departure to France due to his health.

But the French troops did not stay there for long. As early as 1863, a large number was removed from Pondicherry and during their absence the general store was installed again in the Northern part. In the Southern part, the sun of Pondicherry continued to trouble the few remaining French soldiers, and in 1866 one of them decided to avenge himself by setting fire to the powders. The south-western part was destroyed and it took two years to rebuild it. When it was ready, the last troops of the Naval Infantry were called back. The sepoys were installed in their place.

At that moment, the whole North facade of the Police Head Quarters retained what was in the 18th Century, and it is only between 1930 and 1950 — after the installation of the commissionership at beginning of the century — that the embellishments characterising it disappeared progressively.

RAPHAËL MALANGIN

INTACH

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