Author: Babajanian Karo

TURQUIE
Manifestations en Turquie : Erdogan en démonstration de force à Ankara

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a tenu, samedi à Ankara,
un meeting populaire devant les militants de son Parti de la Justice
et de Développement (AKP – issu de la mouvance islamiste), dans une
démonstration de force face aux manifestants qui battent le pavé
depuis plus de deux semaines pour demander sa démission, exacerbés par
ses `dérives autoritaires` et ses politiques jugées `trop
conservatrices`. Devant une foule de plusieurs dizaines de milliers de
personnes, totalement acquises à sa cause, le chef du gouvernement a
stigmatisé ses détracteurs, les qualifiants encore une fois de
`pillards` et d’`extrémistes` agissant à la solde de parties
étrangères, qui veulent saper l’expérience réussie de son
gouvernement, à travers des manifestations violentes prenant pour
prétexte le problème écologique du Parc Gezi de Taksim à Istanbul. Les
troubles en Turquie ont commencé par un sit-in d’une poignée de
militants associatifs qui protestaient contre le déracinement d’arbres
du Parc Gezi, dans le cadre d’un projet urbanistique prévoyant
notamment la construction d’un centre commercial. Ce sit-in a dégénéré
suite à une intervention musclée des forces de l’ordre, en un
mouvement de contestation général contre le gouvernement et ses
politiques jugées trop conservatrices et menaçant les valeurs de la
laïcité.

Lors de ce meeting, tenu à Sincan, une banlieue de la Capitale Ankara,
Erdogan a fait un lien entre le double-attentat de Reyhanli, qui a
fait en mai dernier plus de 50 morts, et les événements de Taksim,
soulignant que les `pillards` ont commencé par l’attaque de Reyhanli,
une petite ville située près de la frontière avec la Syrie, avant de
déclencher les troubles de Taksim, dans une tentative de `nuire au
développement et à la force de la Turquie`. Le président de l’AKP a
saisi l’occasion pour hausser le ton à l’égard des manifestants qui
continuent d’occuper le Parc Gezi en plein centre de la mégalopole
turque, leur lançant un ultimatum jusqu’à demain dimanche pour lever
le camp. `Nous avons une réunion publique demain à Istanbul. Je le dis
clairement : si la place Taksim n’est pas évacuée, les forces de
sécurité sauront comment l’évacuer`, a-t-il averti.

Erdogan estime qu’il n’y a plus de raisons pour continuer à occuper le
Parc Gezi, du moment où son gouvernement s’est engagé à suspendre le
projet controversé jusqu’au verdict du tribunal et à le soumettre à un
référendum municipal au cas où la justice autorise les travaux.

Le meeting d’Ankara, qui sera suivi par un 2-ème dimanche à Istanbul,
a signé le lancement de la campagne électorale de l’AKP pour les
prochaines élections municipales en Turquie, prévues dans huit mois.

Erdogan compte faire de ce rendez-vous électoral l’heure de la vérité
concernant sa popularité et le bien fondé des politiques de son
gouvernement, pour répondre à ses détracteurs, et plus
particulièrement à son rival, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, le président du
Parti républicain du peuple (CHP), principale formation politique
d’opposition en Turquie.

dimanche 16 juin 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

KARABAGH
Le président du Karabagh visite le chantier de construction de
l’hôpital de Stepanakert

Le Président de la République du Haut-Karabagh Bako Sahakian a visité
le chantier de construction d’un nouveau btiment de l’hôpital
national.

Le président a souligné l’importance de la construction de haute
qualité et la mise en service rapide.

Au cours de sa visite, le président était accompagné du ministre de
l’urbanisme Karen Shahramanyan, du ministre de la Santé Zoya Lazaryan
et d’autres fonctionnaires.

dimanche 16 juin 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

FOOTBALL
Le Daily Mail « Liverpool attend Henrikh Mekhitarian ».
L’international arménien aurait signé pour 17 millions de livres

Selon le Daily Mail, le club anglais de Liverpool a déjà donné son
accord pour la venue du milieu de terrain de « Chakhtior » Donetsk et
international arménien Henrikh Mekhitarian (24 ans). D’après Daily
Mail, après le match Danemark-Arménie (0-4) de mardi dernier, les
dirigeants de Liverpool ont signé un accord avant « Chakhtior »
Donetsk pour le transfert de Henrikh Mekhitarian pour 17 millions de
livres sterling. De son côté le site Caughtoffside affirme également
que Henrikh Mekhitarian va être transféré à Liverpool pour 18 millions
de livres. Les prochains jours, l’information devrait être
officiellement communiquée par Liverpool. Le site affirme également
qu’après la rencontre Danemark-Arménie lors duquel Liverpool avait
délégué des observateurs, le transfert de Henrikh Mekhitarian fut
accéléré. Il est vrai que sur le terrain, le milieu de la sélection
arménienne reste impérial et décisif tant dans ses passes que ses
buts.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 16 juin 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

BLOCK `KARABAKH` CONDEMNS THE NOMINATION OF ILHAM ALIYEV FOR A THIRD TERM OF PRESIDENCY

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
June 13, 2013 Thursday

Today’s meeting of the Bloc “Karabakh” condemned the nomination of
President Ilham Aliyev for a third presidential term, calling it
“unacceptable.” This decision, according to members of the Bloc,
is contrary to democratic principles and human values. The Bloc
also condemned a referendum conducted in 2009 which made changes
in the constitution at will of the authorities. In their opinion,
the referendum was not a quorum, because it involved less than 25%
of voters, and the Venice Commission gave a negative conclusion on
the referendum. Under the presidency of Ilham Aliyev, the situation
with corruption, human rights, democracy has changed for the worse, as
well as in the living standard of the population. No positive changes
were observed in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The Bloc
“Karabakh” decided to join the Committee to Protect the rights of
the arrested lawyer, Gurban Mammadov. -05D04-

REVEALED: WILLIAM’S INDIAN ANCESTRY.

Daily Mail, UK
June 14 2013

DNA tests show future monarch has clear genetic line to the former
‘Jewel in the Crown’ from Diana’s side

*DNA testing proves that the Duke of Cambridge is of Indian ancestry
*He will become first King of England with genetic link to India
*Prince William’s great-great-great-great-great grandmother was half-Indian
*William will be first and last monarch with the DNA link as it can
only be passed on by a mother
*Revelation will prompt calls for prince to make maiden visit to the country

By MARIO LEDWITH

DNA testing has revealed that Prince William will become the first
British monarch of Indian ancestry.

A clear genetic line has been drawn between the Duke of Cambridge and
a half-Indian woman, potentially marking him as the first King whose
bloodline is descended from the country.

Analysis of saliva samples on relatives of Prince William revealed the
link between the second in line to the throne and a distant relative
from his mother’s family.

The revelation will prompt calls for the 30-year-old prince to make
his maiden visit to India, following in the footsteps of his parents
who travelled there in 1992.

The genetic link with India is believed to originate from Williams’s
great-great-great-great-great grandmother Eliza Kewark.

Although often described as Armenian, DNA analysis has revealed that
she was at least half-Indian and is known to have lived in the
country’s western region.

Scottish scientists established the link after discovering that
Eliza’s descendants carried a rare strand of DNA – known as
mitochondrial DNA – which can only be passed on by a mother.

Only people from the Indian subcontinent have been found to carry the
particular strand of DNA. It has been recorded in 14 other people –
all Indian, apart from one Nepalese native.

The DNA is thought to have been passed down to Prince William and his
brother Harry, as the scientist behind the research described the
genetic link as ‘unassailable’.

The tests were carried out by genetics expert Jim Wilson, from the
University of Edinburgh and a group called BritainsDNA, who said that
the princes would be unable to pass the DNA to their children.

It has not been revealed which relations of William supplied the
saliva samples to allow the DNA to be tested.

Princess Diana’s maternal aunt Mary Roach told The Times: ‘I always
assumed that I was part-Armenian so I am delighted that I also have an
Indian background.’

Kewark was married to Scotsman Theodore Forbes, who left his wife and
sent their daughter, Katherine, to live in Britain aged six.

Letters sent from Kewark to her estranged husband were discovered by
researchers in which she begged to be able to see her children again.

The communication suggests that Forbes turned his back on his wife,
potentially due to her race, referring to her as his ‘housekeeper’ in
his will after he died returning to Britain on a ship in 1820.

He also described her as the ‘purported mother’ of Katherine.

If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do decide to make a state visit
to the country after the expected birth of the couple’s baby in July,
the second in line to the throne will hope that their experience is
more harmonious than his parents.

Princess Diana was famously pictured sitting alone outside the Taj
Mahal, an Indian landmark regarded as symbol of love, without her
husband in sight.

His direct genetic lineage could be seized upon by Buckingham Palace
as a way of boosting the British monarchy’s popularity in the country.

Alistair Moffat, the founder of BritainsDNA, said: ‘Knowing something
about your DNA and its origins in prehistory definitely changes your
sense of yourself, and one way that it does that is to make you feel
part of a world community.’

Historian Alistair Moffat told MailOnline how before India became a
part of the British Empire in the mid-19th century, it was governed by
the East India Company, who employed armies and generals and even
fought wars, including Robert Clive’s famous campaign against the
French which culminated in the victory at Plassey.

Mr Moffat said: ‘When Henry Dundas became Governor General of the East
India Company, he began to appoint more and more Scots to important
positions.

‘When Theodore Forbes came to Leith to work, he probably came into
contact with the tea merchants who brought tea to Britain in the tea
clippers, the wonderful sailing ships. Perhaps the Cutty Sark is the
best known.

‘Scottish entrepreneurs had invested so heavily in the Indian tea
industry that it outstripped production in China.

‘As the third son of a Scottish landowner, Forbes needed to make his
fortune elsewhere and like many ambitious young men, he went to India
to do just that.

‘When Forbes arrived in the Bombay Presidency he employed a
housekeeper, Eliza Kewark. They had three children, one of whom,
Catherine or Kitty, was the ancestress of Princess Diana.’

NDIAN ANCESTRY: FAMILY TREE WHICH LINKS THE PRINCE TO ELIZA KEWARK

The wedding of Ruth Sylvia Gill and Edmund Burke Roche, 4th Baron
Fermoy, at St Devenick’s Church, Bieldside, Scotland
Prince William’s Indian ancestry can be traced back through his family
tree which reveals his genetic link with Eliza Kewark.

Kewark had three children with Theodore Forbes after he arrived in
India, working for the East India Company.

One of their children, Katherine, became a well-respected member of
society in Scotland and married James Crombie, a member of the family
that manufactured the coats of the same name, in Aberdeen, in March
1837.

The pair had eight children including Jane Crombie, who was born in
November 8, 1843, and married David Littlejohn.

Their daughter, Ruth Littlejohn, was born in 1879, who married Colonel
William Smith Gill in 1898.

Ruth Littlejophn then gave birth to Ruth Sylvia Gill eight years after
the turn of the century, who lived until July 6, 1993.

She became styled as Baroness Fermony after she married Edmund Burke
Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, in September 1931.

She held the office of Justice of the Peace between June 1956 and
March 1960, before she became the Woman of the Bedchamber to HM Queen
Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and was invested as a Dame Commander,
Royal Victorian Order, in 1966.

Among her children was Princess Diana’s mother, the Hon Frances Burke
Roche, born on January 20, 1936, in Sandringham, Norfolk.

She married Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, and they had five
children together, including Diana, before they divorced in 1969.

She then went on to marry Peter Shand Kydd.

REMISE EN LIGNE DU SITE DU COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 16-06-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le site du Collectif VAN a
ete remis en ligne ce mardi 11 juin au soir. Depuis le 29 avril 2013,
le serveur du Collectif VAN sur lequel sont regroupes – outre notre
site internet – les sites Imprescriptible, CCAF, Tebrotzassère et
Diasporamag, etait en effet desactive par mesure de precaution pour
faire face a la plus grande attaque de hackers que nous ayons eu a
subir depuis le lancement de notre site en mars 2006.

Tous nos remerciements a nos genereux donateurs qui ont repondu a
notre appel pour l’achat d’un nouveau serveur (ils recevront sous peu
leur CERFA), ainsi qu’a l’hebergeur Synten qui a veille a ce qu’aucun
site ne soit endommage et a travaille a la mise en place d’un système
plus securise.

A l’occasion de cette interruption, certains d’entre vous ont decouvert
notre Blog et nos reseaux sociaux. Ces plateformes continueront bien
sûr a etre alimentees :

1) Le blog du Collectif VAN collectifvan.blogspot.com/
2) 3)
… 47?fref=ts 4)

Les informations qui ont ete incorporees dans notre Veille-Media
depuis le 29 avril seront mises en ligne au fur et a mesure sur le
site, afin d’alimenter la base de donnees.

Plus que jamais, le Collectif VAN est determine a poursuivre son
action contre la negation des genocides.

Merci pour votre soutien.

Collectif VAN [Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] BP 20083 –
92133 Issy-les-Moulineaux – France Boîte vocale : +33 (0)1 77 62 70
77 Email: [email protected] –

Retour a la rubrique

TURQUIE: IHD CONDAMNE LES ARRESTATIONS EN MASSE D’AVOCATS

Publié le : 14-06-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
soumet la déclaration de l’Association des Droits Humains (IHD,
Turquie) publiée le 13 juin 2013.

FIDH

IHD : “Nous condamnons les arrestations en masse d’avocats, les
descentes aux sièges des partis politiques et la violence a l’encontre
des manifestants”

Mise a jour le 13 juin 2013

Déclaration de l’Association des Droits Humains (IHD, Turquie)

12 juin 2013 РNous condamnons la violence inflig̩e aux manifestants
par les forces de l’ordre pendant les manifestations de la place
Taksim et celles de Gezi Park le matin du 11 juin 2013 ; les attaques
des forces de l’ordre qui ont eu lieu toute la journée et jusqu’au
lendemain ; l’arrestation d’environ 50 avocats qui avaient tenté de
faire des déclarations publiques au palais de justice de Caglayan
District (Province d’Istanbul) ; la descente au bureau du Parti de la
Démocratie Socialiste (Sosyalist Demokrasi Partisi, SDP) d’Istanbul
et les arrestations en masse.

Nous appelons les autorités a mettre un terme aux violations du droit
a la vie et a bannir la torture. Les déclarations faites par les
organisations internationales, notamment le Secrétariat Général des
Nations Unies, témoignent de l’inquiétant degré d’autoritarisme
atteint par la Turquie. L’Association des Droits Humains (IHD)
continuera a demander l’arrêt des violences policières et leur
condamnation devant les institutions internationales.

Les autorités devraient mettre un terme a la violence policière,
entamer le dialogue avec les vrais représentants des manifestants
et coopérer avec eux afin de satisfaire leurs demandes.

Le pouvoir politique a légitimé la torture et les mauvais traitements
en utilisant l’argument suivant : ” je ne laisserai pas ma police se
faire dévorer ”. Ce discours devrait cependant être mis de côté,
l’impunité devrait être bannie et une enquête efficace devrait
être ouverte a l’encontre des policiers et de leurs supérieurs
ayant utilisé la violence.

İnsan Hakları Dernegi/Association des Droits Humains (IHD)

———————-

Voir la vidéo:

Voici comment l’Etat turc traite ses avocats, arrêtés en plein
Palais de Justice, mardi a Istanbul

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : FIDH

MP: OFFSHORE SCANDAL IS PART OF THE REGIME’S PLOT TO SACRIFICE TIGRAN SARGSYAN IN ORDER TO KEEP ITS POWER PYRAMID INTACT

ARMINFO
Friday, June 14, 19:48

The offshore scandal involving Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan is just part of the regime’s plot to sacrifice him in order
to keep its power pyramid intact, opposition MP Aram Manukyan told
journalists on Friday.

Manukyan does not doubt that Hetq.am’s article saying that Margaryan
is involved in an offshore diamond business is true.

“But he is not the only government official in Armenia who has such a
history, and the regime can sacrifice one or two of them at any moment
just to scare the rest,” the MP said.

A NEW KIND OF GENOCIDE HAS BEEN PERPETRATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Interview of Gagik Harutyunyan to ArmInfo Information Agency

David Stepanyan

Judging by the recent wrangling in the UN Security Council and the
reaction of Iran and Israel, it seems that the Syrian conflict is
gradually passing into a new plane. In your opinion, what new impulses
around the developments in Syria can be expected in this aspect in
the nearest future?

It has been much spoken about the involvement Iran and Israel in
the Syrian conflict. They acknowledge in Tehran that Iran will
follow Syria and that is the reason why “Hezbollah”, and according
to some opinions even groups connected with the “Army of Guardians
of the Islamic Revolution” are actively involved in the events in
Syria. It is natural that Syria, in its current condition, is not
very acceptable for Israel, though some experts appeal that Tel-Aviv
is not interested in overthrowing of Assad. In this case Syria might
be flooded by terrorists who will then endanger the security of Israel.

In my opinion a real threat to Israel is rather strong and united
Syria than scattered groups of terrorists, which Israelis has always
brilliantly dealt with. That is why, while speaking about outside
intervention, we have to take into consideration, that there is a
typical war in Syria and not opposition or local rebels protests.

According to the estimations of the experts and observers, the number
of the Syrian citizens in the militants units does not exceed 15-20%.

All the others are the mercenaries from Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and other regimes in the Middle East as well as citizens of some
western countries and post-Soviet republics (e.g. Azerbaijan). All
these forces are actively supported by NATO first of all by means
of its member – Turkey. In other words it is Turkey that is fighting
against Syria and Turkish military officers were killed and captured
by the Syrian governmental troops.

There is information that occasionally Turkey tends to solve in
Syria acute “Armenian question” by destroying Armenian churches
and compelling Armenians – the descendants of those who survived
the Genocide in the Ottoman Empire – to leave hospital Syria, which
sheltered them…

Even if Turkey does not have a special plan on displacement of the
Armenians from Syria, destruction of the Armenian and in general
Christian cultural values, the fact remains that the descendents
of the Armenians who survived the Genocide perpetrated by the Turks
today are suffering from the displacement, thanks to the efforts of
that very same Turkey. Our compatriots are the bearers of the western
Armenian cultural and civilizational code. The communities in the
Middle East has had great influence in the context of preserving of
the Armeniancy, Armenian civilization, culture in the countries of
the Eastern and Western Europe, America. And now, when the members
of the Armenian communities in Syria and Middle East are actively
emigrating to Europe, North and South Americas, we are losing our
very important national segment. It should also be mentioned that
in case of implementation of a negative scenario, there will be no
place in new Syria not only for Armenians and Christians in general,
but also for the Syrian Alawis.

What is the difference between the situation in Syria and other
“Arab revolutions”?

The events in Syria should be viewed through the prism of processes,
which has been taking place in the Middle East in recent years. We
remember how in consequence of the aggression against Iraq a typical
eastern dictator Saddam Hussein who killed 5 thousand Kurds in chemical
attack was executed. Meanwhile, according to the most modest figures
more than half a million people were killed in that very Iraq after
overthrowing of Hussein and coming of the Americans. A mechanism,
by means of which Iraqis killed Iraqis, Arabs killed Arabs and more
than million people left the country, was launched. This is argued
by neither UN, nor other international organizations. And after the
American operations in Iraq there were almost no Armenians left in
the Arab part of Iraq. Some Armenians found shelter in the Iraqi
Kurdistan. Comparing situation in Iraq and Syria one can drive to
a conclusion, according to which it looks as if a new mechanism
was launched in the region; it is a new kind of Genocide when the
peoples of these countries are self-destroying each other. And this
is systematic and stable process, which happens every day against
the background of total degradation of the statehood. And in this
aspect it is very important to find those who ordered all this, due
to whom this mechanism was launched. This is new kind of Genocide,
which goes beyond all the canons and notions. In Syria governmental
troops considerably succeed in the struggle with the variegated
rebels supported by the western special services due to the Iranian,
Russian and indirectly Chinese support. But even this success cannot
stop the process of degradation of Syria as a state, because the life
is defected – according to the figures of international organization
approximately 1.2 million people left the country and the number of
victims goes beyond 80 thousand. It is even needless to speak about
the condition of the economy.

And who has, in your opinion ordered it?

Today, in my opinion it is almost impossible to point out those
who ordered it. Those times has passed. Everything is very closely
interconnected and in such issues some western countries, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia as well as transnational companies play major role. For example,
for me personally the stance of Germany, which unlike France, voted
against anti-Syrian resolution and has very reserved attitude towards
the Syrian conflict, is sympathetic. That is why it is difficult to
name one country, which ordered this far uncontrollable chaos. The
Americans are already concerned with the empowerment of Al-Qaida in
Syria. Every day the terrorist acts, which are at least equivalent
to the one in Boston, are taking place in the Middle East, thousands
of people are killed, which has to be a great tragedy for whole
world. Thus, the processes in Syria are qualitatively different from
the processes, which took place on Libya, Tunis, Egypt and even Iraq,
in which no opposing external powers, at least in an organized way,
were involved. The same Iran, Russia and China in fact come down
on the side of Assad, calling for appropriate peaceful settlement
of the Syrian conflict. And in these processes, which take place
in the proximity of the Armenia’s borders, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
the organized bandit groups of which, are fighting against Syrian
governmental army, are involved.

What impact will the excessive activity of Turkey and Azerbaijan in
Syria have on the relations of Ankara and Baku with Moscow?

The involvement of Turkey in the Syrian conflict will never contribute
to the development of the Russian-Turkish relations. Today Turkey and
its closest ally – Azerbaijan, felt themselves independent actors
and afforded to send Russians out of Ghabala. In response Moscow
ceased running Baku-Novorosiysk oil pipeline, restricted military
supplies to Azerbaijan. These all proves that the relations between
Baku and Moscow tend to worsen. And these are not the relations they
had two years ago. Of course, during the visits to Moscow good words
are said, but this does not change realpolitik. All this cannot but
alert Armenia, because Turkey, filling itself a regional superpower,
in case of success in the Syrian-Iranian direction, may take any
steps. Turks are not the obeying NATO members they once used to be in
the days of the “Cold War” and today, having a strong army, they can
allow themselves acting independently. In its turn Azerbaijan feels
itself alleviated in the shade of such a patron, which is proved by
the rhetoric of official Baku.

How will this, in your opinion, influence Karabakh conflict settlement,
taking into consideration the fact that Russia still remains the main
mediator in the Karabakh conflict?

This is very complicated issue, because the answer can be searched only
in the statements of the Russian officials, e.g., Secretary General of
CSTO Nikolai Bordyuzha. I don’t know why but I remember the words of
President Dmitri Medvedev who advised: “don’t make Russia solve all
the issues in 5 days”. I believe that the ally relations with Russia
and being the CSTO member is the additional guarantee ensuring that
any aggression will meet a rebuff. This is seemed to be realized in
Baku too.

On May 20 the press-service of the Milli Majlis refuted reports spread
a day before by some pro-governmental media citing the text of a
bill “On the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan”, which stipulated
for the criminal sanctions against the citizens of Azerbaijan for
cooperation with Armenia. What is, in your opinion, the reason of
such information releases?

We attentively follow such information releases (which very often
are not confirmed later) in mass media and I have a filling that
Azerbaijan is a little fevered in the aspect of the domestic policy.

The situation in their domestic policy is rather unstable. They have
many problems connected with the national minorities, religious sects,
such as Wahabees, Sunnites, and Shiites, which spread eager activity
in Azerbaijan. Real religious confrontation is unfolded there. This
all is supplemented by Ilham Aliyev overstepping all the possible
verges and ruling country for quite a long period after making
ambiguous amendments to the Constitution. This all proves that huge
means spent in Azerbaijan on the army are not a panacea from the
domestic troubles. That is the reason why Aliyev constantly needs
overstepping new and new inadmissible lines. And a proposal “to bring
criminal action against the citizens of Azerbaijan, cooperating with
any organization or institution from Armenia till the full liberation
of the occupied lands” is one of such actions. But, someone clever
advised them not to do this and it explains abandoning previously
announced repressions”.

Return Another materials of author REGNUM: NEW KIND OF GENOCIDE
IS BEING PERPETRATED IN SYRIA (from the press-conference of Gagik
Harutyunyan)[16.05.2013] ON SOME MAIN ISSUES OF INTEGRATION IN
THE CONTEXT OF A VALUE SYSTEM[29.04.2013] INTEGRATION PROCESSES
AND INFORMATION POLICY [28.02.2013] CHALLENGES TO ARMENIA
IN THE GLOBALIZING WORLD[27.12.2012] WAR IN SYRIA: PROBABLE
SCENARIOS[04.12.2012] THE EUROPEAN UNION: NEW TENDENCIES[03.07.2012]
TURKISH NUCLEAR THREAT[26.04.2012] NEW MIDDLE EAST: REALITY AND
PROSPECTS [15.03.2012] NEW STATEHOOD AND NEW CHALLENGES[20.09.2011]
REFLECTING THE EVENTS OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT IN THE MIRROR OF THE
GREAT GAME[18.05.2011]

The Times (London)
June 14, 2013 Friday
Edition 1; National Edition

Doomed Indian love story had happy end for the daughter who sailed to
a better life

by David Brown

It was the anguished plea of a desperate wife and mother as Eliza
Forbes wrote: “Our beloved Kitty and Alexander thank God they are in
good health and often hope to see their beloved father.”

The letter was addressed to Theodore Forbes, a wealthy Scottish
merchant who had made his fortune in India in the early 19th century.

Eliza’s appeal was the culmination of their romantic yet tumultuous
love story, which was ultimately doomed by the social attitudes to
race and marriage in colonial India. Their descendant is now second in
line to the British throne.
Theodore arrived in India in 1809 as an employee of the East India
Company looking for adventure and fortune. The 21-year-old merchant
was posted to the port city of Surat in western India, where he met
Eliza Kewark through her brother-in-law, Aratoon Baldassier, who was
acting as his agent.

Theodore described Eliza several times as a “girl”, suggesting that
she may have been several years his Junior. Eliza’s father was Jacob
Kevork, or Hakob Kevokian, a very Armenian name, but there is no
record of her mother. However, DNA test results show that she was
Indian.

There had been a thriving Armenian trading community in Surat since
the 17th century and there was some inter-marriage with the local
population.

When Theodore met Eliza it was common for British men to begin
relationships with Indian women and to have children, even if they
already had a family back in Britain.

Susan Harvard, who has been researching Eliza and Theodore’s
relationship for almost 30 years, believes that the couple were
married in the Armenian church in Surat in early 1812, shortly before
he was posted to Mocha in current-day Yemen. However, it may not have
been legally recognised. In his notebook, Theodore refers to Eliza as
“the very pattern of what a wife ought to be” and in his letters
addresses her as “My Dear Betsy”.

Their daughter Katherine (Kitty) Scott Forbes was born in Mocha in
December 1812 and their son, Alexander, two years later. Eliza
returned to Surat in 1815 and a second son, Fraser, was born in March
1817 but died aged six months.

Theodore had been offered a partnership in Forbes & Co, a trading
company based in Bombay, where the senior partner was Sir Charles
Forbes, a distant relative. But there had been a significant change in
colonial society. An influx of British women to India had led to a
change in social attitudes, with relationships with local women now
considered inappropriate for the merchant class. While Theodore worked
in Bombay his wife, Kitty and Alexander were left in Surat.

In a series of pitiful letters Eliza begged to be allowed to Join her
husband. In October 1817 she wrote of her hope that “Our Almighty may
do so the lucky day as connect our eyes to eyes. Our children as they
hope be make them love at your present will. I entreat you my dear sir
you may call from hence as soon as possible. Then will be happy and
save my life.”

The letters, which appear to have been written by a scribe in Surat,
were signed Mrs Forbes followed by her title written in Armenian,
presumably by herself. But in earlier letters she and Kitty both wrote
in Hindi, suggesting a mixed heritage.

The following February she appealed for money for the family,
describing Theodore’s “prosperous face with your merciful eyes” and
how she prayed for “lucky day as we can meet to each another”. In a
postscript she added: “Kitty and Alexander often ask after you their
beloved Papa and I let you know they are in good health.” A week later
she wrote again, seeking a reply to her letter.
In June 1818, Theodore’s friend Thomas Fraser wrote to him after
visiting the family in Surat. “Kitty retains her good looks but the
sooner you give the order about her departure to England the better as
her complexion will soil in this detestable climate.”

So Theodore decided that his daughter, then 6, should be sent to his
family home at Boyndlie, Aberdeenshire, where there would be less sun.

Eliza reluctantly accepted this plan but insisted that her faithful
servant, Fazagool, accompany her daughter to Scotland. In another
letter, she pleaded again to be allowed to reJoin her husband,
writing: “My good sir, I pray you let me know by your leave I will
bring my child to give in your hand by myself and after Kitty is
dispatched to Europe then stay in Bombay or stay in Surat.”
It is Eliza’s final surviving letter to Theodore, so it is possible
that the couple were reunited in Bombay. Kitty left for Scotland in
August 1819 and Theodore decided to return to Britain the following
year, but died aboard the Blenden Hall in September 1820.
In his will, written aboard the ship, he refers to Eliza as his
“housekeeper” and leaves her a monthly allowance of Just 100 Bombay
rupees a month, less than half the sum she had been receiving.

Theodore left Kitty, his “reputed natural daughter by Eliza Kewark”,
50,000 Bombay rupees. His “reputed son” Alexander received 20,000
rupees and his father stated that he should remain in India.

Life for Kitty at Boyndile would have been very different from her
home in Surat. Mrs Harvard said: “I don’t think her grandparents would
have encouraged her to talk about her past because it could have given
the impression that she was illegitimate and ‘coloured’.”

Mary Roach, the maternal aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, agrees: “My
mother appeared to have no knowledge of [Kitty’s Indian mother], so
perhaps it was hidden.”

Kitty later married James Crombie, a member of the family that
manufactured the coats, and was a respected member of Scottish
society.

Eliza was last heard of in 1834 when she wrote to Sir Charles Forbes
complaining that the annuity left by her “beloved master” had been
halved. Sir Charles forwarded her letter to her children but there is
no record of a reply.

In a footnote to history, the current Earl Spencer, the brother of the
late Diana, Princesses of Wales, has named two of his daughters Eliza
and Kitty.