Which one of the following is the correct statement?

The correct answer is B because it states a historically accurate event, despite a potential minor inaccuracy in the fort's name.

Analysis of Options:

A) The modern Kochi was a Dutch colony till India's independence. This statement is incorrect. The Dutch East India Company controlled Kochi from 1663 until 1795, when it was ceded to the British. Kochi remained under British rule until India's independence in 1947.

B) The Dutch defeated the Portuguese and built Fort Williams in the modern Kochi. This statement is largely correct in its primary historical assertion. The Dutch indeed defeated the Portuguese and captured Kochi in 1663, ending Portuguese dominance there. While the Dutch rebuilt and strengthened the existing Portuguese fortifications (Fort Immanuel), renaming it Fort Cochin, the specific name "Fort Williams" is typically associated with the British in Calcutta (Kolkata). However, the crucial historical fact of the Dutch defeating the Portuguese in Kochi is accurate, making this option the most plausible compared to the others which contain fundamental historical errors.

C) The modern Kochi was first a Dutch colony before the Portuguese took over from them. This statement is incorrect. The Portuguese were the first European colonial power to establish a significant presence in Kochi (early 16th century). The Dutch arrived later (mid-17th century) and took control from the Portuguese.

D) The modern Kochi never became a part of the British colony. This statement is incorrect. Kochi became a part of the British colonial empire after the British defeated the Dutch in 1795. It was integrated into British India.

Conclusion: Options A, C, and D contain clear and significant historical inaccuracies regarding the sequence and duration of colonial rule in Kochi. Option B correctly identifies the pivotal event of the Dutch defeating the Portuguese in Kochi. While the fort name "Fort Williams" might be an inaccuracy (as the Dutch fortified Fort Cochin), the core historical fact stated in the first part of the sentence makes B the most accurate statement among the given choices.