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Another Madras first

You are always writing about Madras firsts, says a veterinarian almost accusingly, but then she goes on to wonder whether it is true that the Madras Veterinary College was the first veterinary institution to be affiliated to a university for the purpose of its graduates receiving degrees. It was indeed so, the affiliation being granted in 1936. And thereby hangs a tale. Which Lt. Col. T. Murari, who was Director of Animal Husbandry, Andhra Pradesh, related many years ago.

The veterinary ‘college’ in Madras was started in 1903 and it granted only diplomas. Europeans held all the senior positions — till V. Krishnamurthi Ayyar became the first Indian Principal in 1929. The school had been started to create Indian veterinarians for the districts — where they would be paid Rs. 80 a month.

Murari who was studying Veterinary Science at Oxford — and who was making a name for himself in sport as well, particularly cricket — was approached in England by the then Director of Agriculture, Madras, Hilson, and asked whether he would like to join the Department. Murari later wrote that, as inducement, he was offered the post of Superintendent, Hosur Cattle Farm, an appointment which would have made him the first Indian Officer in the Department. Murari accepted, but “my main reason”, he later wrote, was “the turf wicket at Hosur…(and) the syces who were excellent fielders and bowlers. Kanda, Khader and Thana were the pick of the bowlers, and Munuswamy was an outstanding fielder in the deep.” The Livestock Research Station itself had been just then taken over “from Remounts Department which bred horses” after its head, an Englishman named Woodford, had retired.

Some years later, during Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, he wanted the veterinary school to be made a college, with its students eligible for degrees. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar constituted a committee for this purpose, with himself, the Director of Veterinary Sciences Saunders, and Murari, who at the time was the “only Indian qualified abroad in this field”. Saunders felt there was no need for higher education in the field for Indians; “I can get them for Rs. 80, so why all this,” he had wondered, but the two Indians dug in their heels and, eventually, had their way — and a veterinary degree came into existence in India.

When Andhra Pradesh was formed, Tenneti Viswanathan felt that Murari, as an Andhra, should join the new State’s service, and so Murari set up the veterinary school for Andhra in Bapatla (it later moved to Tirupati), but the Director’s office was on Casa Major Road in Madras.

Midst all this, Murari became the first Indian to play cricket for the Madras Cricket Club.

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