Musings on the Life & Times of Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan 20

Musings on the Life & Times of Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
20

Chellammaspeak took us to V O Chidambaranar. She spoke of the team comprising Bharathi, VOC, a brigade of youth enthusiastically going to Surat Congress in 1906 to lend muscle (Bharathi lending muscle with his puny frame was joked at by a commentator) and voice ( a lot of it, said the same gentleman) to the ‘extremist’ways of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Tilak wanted to go on an all out offensive against the Britishers and was not attracted by the mild mannered ways of the moderates.

Chellamma was delighted to be told by Bharathi, his first hand account of, “ Tilak getting a huge round of applause and support and there was a real threat of violence. And how a group of Tilak’s supporters, mostly from Madras, protected him from any physical harm. There was shouting, abuses, and muscular display of chairs being thrown like javelins and police having to enter to restore order and peace. While the moderates complained that just one Tilak caused all the disturbance: the patriots/extremists with a different approach were delighted that Tilak’s message went home better than they had expected. Thus came to a close the Surat Congress Session”, said Bharathi proudly.

Bharathi’s transformation continued. Upon return from Surat, there was a spring in his step. And he walked ‘as if he was taller and stronger’ wondered Chellammal. All journalists devoted to the national cause met and resolved at Surat that they would forcibly espouse the cause of Swadeshi movement in their respective territories. Bharathi assumed the responsibility for the South. And he started to deliver on his promise.

Typifying his changed modus operandi, Bharathi started to take on the moderates. The moderates held sway in the Madras Mahajana Sabha and therefore Bharathi floated his own Madras Jan Sangh. Bharathi however turned a disappointed man as Chellamma noted, “There was nothing worthwhile to pursue and it was all tall talk as Bharathi spoke with self-deprecating humour as he candidly confessed in a piece in Gnabaratham and not Subramania Siva’s Gnanabanu”.

Bharathi was yet active in his own way. To carry out the intention to boycott British made goods and buy only Swadeshi an outlet, “Bharath Bhandar” was opened and it had a successful presence for quite a long time, with Bharathi tirelessly working for it, said Chellamma.

In all such activities, Bharathi was inspired with the fiery words and active groundwork of VOC and Subramania Siva. A perfect sedgeway to enter into the world of Subramania Siva. Bharathi was enamoured of Siva’s words and actions. And his speeches became focused and fiery. Time to give Subramania Siva his little space and Bharathi would approve of it.

Subramania Siva, born at Vathalagundu near Dindigul, was imprisoned in Tiruchy jail and then moved to Salem prison. The British did not allow Siva to travel in train because of his leprosy status, it may be recalled. In 1921, Subramania Siva managed to reach Papparapatti and stayed in the house of Chinnamuthu, a strong supporter of India’s freedom movement. Here, Subramania Siva had planned to construct a fitting temple for ‘Bharat Mata’ for which Chinnamuthu had gifted six acres of his land. The foundation stone was also laid way back in 1923 for the temple, but the work was stopped because of Subramania Siva’s death in 1925.”

Subramaniya Siva (4 October 1884 – 23 July 1925) was an Indian freedom fighter and prolific writer. He was arrested many times between 1908 and 1922 for his anti-imperialist activities. It was while serving his last prison term, he was afflicted by leprosy to which he succumbed in 1925. He was born to Rajam Iyer. Little is known about his early life, except for the fact that he was already a married man when he commenced his political activities.

Subramaniya Siva plunged into the freedom movement in 1908 after which he was jailed many a time. In 1908, while serving a prison term, he was afflicted by leprosy which led him to be ordered to be shifted to Salem jail. Since leprosy was regarded as a contagious disease, the British authorities forbade him to travel by rail.

As a result of this, Subramaniya Siva traversed the whole length of Madras province on foot though his whole body was covered with sores. Fearful of displeasing the British authorities, not many people provided help. However, this did not deter Siva.Bharathi said, “ My dear friend Siva was a foot soldier in every sense of the term. And he was fearless. Physically and metaphysically. He challenged the British despite his leprosy afflicted condition. The sad part of it was that his own countrymen ostracised Siva for leprosy and his militant ways. I can see tamils and Indians hypocritically praising VOC and Siva sky high when Bharat Maya’s shackles are broken. Until then these brave patriots have to endure all the suffering so they my brethren may be free. Parasakthi alone know why it must be so. A curse?”.

Subramaniya Siva continued to fight for independence and suffered numerous prison terms. He eventually succumbed to the disease on 23 July 1925. Subramanya Siva was a firebrand revolutionary independence fighter from Tamil Nadu. He closely worked with V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramanya Bharathy and inspired many young men to join the freedom movement.”The Siva- VOC- Bharathi trio made their presence felt. But the response of traction they received was nowhere near what they desired or deserved” wrote a biographer. We are like that only, you see.

Siva was the first political prisoner in the Madras Presidency. Siva had described his jail experience in a small book “Jail Life”. The Freedom Movement made him an orator par excellence and the jail life made him an author. He published “Gnana Bhanu”, a collection of poems.

Subramaniya Siva was an admirer of Swami Vivekananda and his religious master Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Siva disagreed with many things which constituted Gandhian Philosophy.

Subramaniya Siva believed in violence for violent methods would arise when constitutional methods had failed. He was a self-confessed ‘extremist who wanted India to be free from British yoke and he VOC and Bharathi were religious supporters of Bal Gangadhar Tilak”, wrote a Thilak biographer. At the time of his death he was survived by his son Sabhapathi Sharma.

To honour this great person, Dindugal district collector office is named after him : Thiagi Subramania Siva Malihai. Thiagi is a Tamil word. it means A PERSON WHO SACRIFICED HIMSELF. Bhatlagundu Bus stand also is named after him.

Bharathi, VOC and Siva never fought shy of calling themselves as ‘extremists’ ( a proud term and not a pejorative, when attached to them). And as the faithful followers of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, their ‘ extremist leader’. Bharathi and Co was not talking alone. They were acting too, and a particular occasion when Bharathi displayed his ‘extremists instincts and took on the might of the police and British administration’ was recalled by Chellamma with ‘priceless pride’.

( Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)