Little England Of India

Priyanka Rout

Little England Of India

Kolar was referred to as "Little England" by British engineers and other people from all over the world. Kolar Gold Field was a great residence because of the weather, bungalows, and clubs. Life in KGF was heavily impacted by British culture due to its status as a British mining colony.

The hidden golden bowl of India; Image Source: Economic Times

The name "Little England" contrasted sharply with 'coolie lines,' the moniker given to the temporary dwellings used by miners, the overwhelming number of whom were Tamil migrants. It was well-known for its rat infestation, because the employees exterminated over 50,000 rats every year. Workplaces were no exception. Despite the regular delivery of cool and dry air into the vaults, temperatures in the tunnels reached 55 degrees Celsius, and accidents were common.

At its peak, KGF housed 30,000 mine employees and their families. It was a multi-ethnic town with skilled miners recruited from all over the world, including a substantial concentration from Cornwall.

When the mines first opened, locals were hesitant to work there since it was an exceedingly risky employment, so employees migrated from Tamil Nadu. Tamil had become a dominant language spoken by most people at KGF. After Indian independence in 1947, there was a sizable Anglo-Indian community at KGF, many of whom took on the duties of British workers.

On the other hand, the British brought infrastructure, and in the mining area, they built clinics, colleges, private clubs, a boating lake, a country club, a swimming pool, and a gymkhana. These amenities were divided, with locations like the KGF club reserved for European workers alone. KGF's medical treatment was world-class, and it was provided free of charge to all coal miners.

Following that, new towns (known as civil regions) were established and named after British commanders, such as Bowringpet (now Bangarapet), 'Robertsonpet,' and 'Andersonpet.' The Mysore Gold Mine, Champion Reef Mine, Nudydroog Mine, Ooregum Mine, Tank Block Mine, Balaghat Mine, Coromandel Mine, and Nine Reefs Mine were the primary mines at Kolar Gold Fields.

Though KGF stands abandoned today, it was a flourishing gold market at one point. But gold was not safe as there emerged a character named Thangam.

The film KGF takes us to the Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka to tell the story of Rocky (Yash), a young orphan who grows up to become a criminal in Mumbai. Many believe Rocky is based on boisterous Thangam; a known gangster shot dead in a police confrontation in 1997.

Thangam was a feared criminal, second only to Veerappan, who was a famous sandalwood smuggler, in terms of terror. Thangam's group would go about in broad daylight stealing gold businesses in and around the KGF. Thangam, like Veerappan, was well-liked by local workers since he would share his riches with them. He was incredibly sympathetic to the KGF miners who lived in horrendous circumstances; these miners were grossly underpaid and laboured in inhumane conditions, with temperatures reaching 55 degrees. Thangam, like Rocky, was greatly influenced by his mother. He adored her so much that his group was dubbed the "Pouli gang," after his mother, Pouli.

In the same way, Rocky had a shoot at sight order, Thangam had one. There were 42 offences against his name just days before his death. Thangam had committed a heist of Rs. 1.5 lakh in valuables just before being shot to death. This heist was so massive that it embarrassed the whole police force. Thangam was only 25 years old when KGF police killed him on December 27, 1997. While this film appears to be influenced by Rowdy Thangam's narrative, the director of KGF, Prashanth Neel, disagrees and claims Rocky is fabricated.

The abandoned subterranean tunnels, which were previously gold channels, are now filled with groundwater. Despite the government plans and several court decisions, the KGF's restoration appears improbable. As a result, even if KGF still had gold in its belly, the expense of extracting it would be larger than the value of the metal itself.

One of John Taylor & Sons' most notable accomplishments was bringing power to the mines in 1902 in an elaborate operation that saw force carried 140 kilometres from the Cauvery Power Plant. The energy was collected from the Shivasamudram waterfalls, making KGF the world's first mining zone to utilize electric power.

Kolar Gold Fields was a multi-ethnic, multi-religious culture where diverse communities coexisted. Many Wesleyan chapels were erected at KGF, indicating the Cornish Wesleyan influence.

The 'Kolar Gold Fields News' regularly published news from the mines, and these stories were repeated in Cornish newspapers. They provided critical information, such as the amount of gold mined, plague data, and information about the Cornish workers. They also covered KGF concerts, social gatherings, Christmas celebrations, and significant coverage of marriages and funerals. The mines at KGF closed in 2001, taking employment that had supported families for decades, resulting in many of its residents travelling 4 hours a day to work in Bengaluru.

'Though not a ghost town, KGF stands still, holding its breath, as far as matters relating to the revival of mining activities are concerned.' - Gayatri Chandrashekar- Grit and Gold 2015