#*What a contrast!* #TamilNadu was reputed for great political leaders upholding moral values. #மக்களுக்காக வாழ்ந்த அந்தத்தலைவர்கள் எங்கே; மக்கள் பணத்தைக் கொள்ளையடிக்கும் இன்றைய அரசியல்வாதிகள் எங்கே!

#*What a contrast!*

#TamilNadu was reputed for great political leaders upholding moral values.  

#மக்களுக்காக வாழ்ந்த அந்தத்தலைவர்கள் எங்கே; மக்கள் பணத்தைக் கொள்ளையடிக்கும் இன்றைய அரசியல்வாதிகள் எங்கே!

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That was why Shri Aurobindo Ghosh once said that the only leader from Tamil Nadu, who was the epitome of ethics, etiquettes and inspiring ideals, was V.O. Chidambaram, great freedom fighter who had lost all of his personal assets and money. 

Likewise, a top Indian official said that had Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose been alive and had India been under his rule, the country would have been different from what it is, completely free from the scourge of corruption. 

These come back to our minds as we have been watching the developments involving the Tamil Nadu Minister  V. Senthil Balaji in the custody of ED in connection with the cash-for-job scam. 

Today’s leaders are a far cry from our past leaders like VOC, Nethaji and so on.

                                                     என்ன ஒரு முரண்பாடு!

தமிழகம் தார்மீக விழுமியங்களையும், அறச்சிந்தனைகளையும் நிலைநிறுத்தும் சிறந்த அரசியல் தலைவர்களுக்கு பெயர் பெற்றது.  

அதனால்தான் தேசிய வீரரும் ஆன்மீகவாதிவாயுமான அரவிந்த கோஷ் ஒரு முறை சொன்னார்: அற நெறிமுறைகளுக்கும் தேசப்பற்றுக்கும் மொத்த  உருவமாக இருந்த ஒரே தமிழகத் தலைவர் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரர் வ.உ.சிதம்பரம்  மட்டுமே. தனது தனிப்பட்ட சொத்துக்கள் மற்றும் பணம் அனைத்தையும் இழந்த மாபெரும் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரர் அவர்.  

இதேபோல், நேதாஜி சுபாஷ் சந்திரபோஸ் உயிருடன் இருந்திருந்தால், அவரது ஆட்சியின் கீழ் இந்தியா இருந்திருந்தால், நாடு இப்போதுள்ள நிலையில் இருந்து வேறுபட்டிருக்கும். ஊழலின் கொடுமையிலிருந்து முற்றிலும் விடுபட்டிருக்கும் என்று இந்திய உயர் அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறினார்.

மக்களுக்காக வாழ்ந்த அந்தத் தலைவர்கள் எங்கே; மக்கள் பணத்தைக் கொள்ளையடிக்கும் இன்றைய அரசியல் தலைவர்கள எங்கே!

SRI AUROBINDO AND V.O. CHIDAMBARAM PILLAI (VOC)

“The qualities of courage, frankness, love and justice are the stuff of which a Nationalist should be made. All honour to Chidambaram Pillai for having shown us the first complete example of an Aryan reborn, and all honour to Madras which has produced such a man.”

—SRI AUROBINDO

WELL DONE, CHIDAMBARAM!

“A true feeling of comradeship is the salt of political life; it binds men together and is the cement of all associated action. When a political leader is prepared to suffer for the sake of his followers, when a man, famous and adored by the public, is ready to remain in jail rather than leave his friends and fellow-workers behind, it is a sign that political life in India is becoming a reality. Srijut Chidambaram Pillai has shown throughout the Tuticorin affair a loftiness of character, a practical energy united with high moral idealism which show that he is a true Nationalist. His refusal to accept release on bail if his fellow-workers were left behind, is one more count in the reckoning. Nationalism is or ought to be not merely a political creed but a religious aspiration and a moral attitude.”

—SRI AUROBINDO

These words appear in the 'Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo', in the volume titled ‘Bande Mataram’ and then some more in ‘Karmayogin’. Sri Aurobindo mentions ‘Srijut Chidambaram Pillai’ many times in his references to great freedom fighters, once even on the scale of Tilak, Bipin Chandra and even Aurobindo (referring to himself). But who was VOC Chidambaram and what did he do deserve such effusive praise from a great freedom fighter and spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo?

VOC—THE MAN

V.O. Chidambaram Pillai (VOC) was born on September 5, 1872 in Ottapidaram. He was the eldest son of Olaganathan Pillai, an eminent lawyer and Parvathi Ammal. He did his schooling in Ottapidaram, Tuticorin and Thirunelveli, learnt English from a Taluk officer, and read ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ with his grandparents. After finishing his schooling, he was employed as a clerk in the Thoothukudi Taluk office briefly before he went to Thiruchi to study law. He graduated in 1894 and a year later, returned to Ottapidaram to practice law. 

LAWYER OF THE POOR

While his father, Olaganathan Pillai, mostly represented the affluent in court, VOC often represented the poor and the underprivileged. It is said that he represented his clients for free or for a very small fee. This created some cracks between the father and the son. It seems Olaganathan Pillai did not approve of his son’s ways, but that did not stop VOC from fighting for the poor’s rights. However, the case that brought him to limelight was the one against three corrupt sub-magistrates whose guilt he proved in court. 

A FREEDOM FIGHTER

In 1905, VOC joined the Indian National Congress after a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa urged him to serve the nation. He was most attracted to the Swadeshi movement started by Bal Gangadar Tilak (who VOC considered as his mentor) and Lala Lajpat Rai. In the Madras presidency, the movement was spearheaded by greats like Subramanya Bharathi and Subramanya Siva. Along with VOC, the three men forged a friendship that would last till they breathed their last. None of them lived to see Independent India.

In the later part of 1905, VOC returned to his home town and began working for the Swadeshi movement. He established many institutions like Kaithozhil Sangam( Cottage Industries Society), Noolnoorppu niruvanam/Nesavu salai(Weavers Society), Desiya Pandaga salai (National Godown for storing food) and Swadeshi prachara sangam (Swadeshi Campaign). As a part of the Swadeshi campaign, he and his men went from door to door, distributing clothes with the slogan ‘Vande Mataram’.

ENTREPRENEUR ON A MISSION

As the Swadeshi movement picked up steam, VOC established Swadeshi navaai sangam (Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company) in the year 1906 to put an end to British monopoly in shipping and to help the Indian merchants who were treated unfairly at the hands of British India Steam Navigation Company. VOC did not establish it to make money, but to spread the ideals of nationalism. 

To start with, the company did not own any vessels, but leased some from the Indian-owned Shah Line Shipping Company. Initially, the ships plied between Thoothukudi and Ceylon for a while. However, when Shah Line Shipping company merged with Shah Steam navigation Company, they ceased to sail. Then, there was some effort to lease a ship from a company based in Ceylon, but that did not go on for long either and VOC insisted on buying own ships. To collect funds for it and sells shares of the company, he toured the country despite his son being ill. Help came from many corners. Popular freedom fighters of that era such as G. Subramanya Iyer, Shanmugasundaram Pillai, Kalyanasundaram Iyer toured the state to raise funds. Merchants of Calcutta and Bombay bought shares. Mandayam Srinivasachariar, a close associate of Bharathi and V. V. S. Iyer sold family jewels to buy shares. Eventually, about 4,000 shares were sold. 

VOC travelled to Bombay to buy two ships with the funds raised. The first of them, S.S. Gallia, was delivered in May 1907 and the second, S.S. Lowoe reached Thoothukudi in June 1907. Both the ships were designed to carry 1,400 men and 4,000 gunny bags of load. Appreciating these efforts of VOC, Bharathi wrote in ‘India’ that the country was as happy as a mother who had just delivered two children alluding the ships. 

Soon, the British steam company started losing a lot of money and the British initiated repressive measures against the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company. When one their ships collided with a vessel from Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, no damages were paid. Appeals were quickly dismissed. To add to the agony, the British steam company reduced fares. To stay afloat, the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company also reduced fares, but the competition eventually killed it. The Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company was liquidated in 1911 and the ships were auctioned out when VOC was still in prison. The British steam company bought S.S. Gallia. 

VOICE OF WORKERS

In 1908, along with Subramanya Siva, VOC took part in meeting. There, he gave a speech urging the workers of Coral Mills (now Madura Coats) to stand up against low wages and harsh working conditions. He also insisted them to fight for freedom. Four days later, on February 27, the workers went on strike demanding fair treatment. VOC and Subramanya Siva led the agitation. The management agreed to meet their demands. As a part of the agreement, the wages were raised, the working hours were reduced and the Sundays were declared holidays. The outcome of the strike encouraged the workers of many other European companies, who also forced their employers to increase wages and mete out better treatment. SRI AUROBINDO appreciated Chidambaram and Siva for the unequalled skill and courage with which the fight was conducted in his newspaper ‘Vande Mataram’ on March 13, 1908.

A PRISONER OF FATE

On March 12, 1908, when VOC hinted at giving a speech at a rally celebrating the release of Bipin Chandra Pal, both he and Subramanya Siva were arrested after their talks with the collector of Tirunelveli failed. Riots broke out in Tirunelveli after the arrests. Buildings were set on blaze and a lot of government property was destroyed before the riots were put to rest with force. The British slapped on VOC two life sentences, each 20 years, for sedition against the government and for sheltering Subramanya Siva. He was jailed in the central prison in Coimbatore and Kannanoor where he was subjected to intense labour. He worked on an oil-press all day and earned the sobriquet, ‘Chekkizhuntha Chemmal’ meaning ‘an honourable man who worked on an oil press’. During this time, his wife, Meenakshi Ammal, took care of all the appeals. Funds came in from different parts of the world to support her. Repeated appeals paid fruit. The Madras High Court reduced his sentence to 10 years. The London Preview Council reduced it to 6. The sentence was further reduced for good conduct and VOC was released in December 1912. 

However, his biggest blow came upon release from jail. Instead of a massive gathering outside the prison, he met with a handful of men who delivered him the news that he had lost all his wealth. He was not allowed to return to Tirunelveli and he was debarred from practicing law. 

FIGHT WITH POVERTY

Upon his release in 1912, VOC stayed in Coimbatore with C.K. Subramanya Mudaliyar. He worked as a bank manager for a while before he moved to Madras in 1916 with his wife and children. There, he ran a provisions store selling rice, ghee and kerosene. The family led an impoverished life so much so that he once wrote a letter to Periyar who was then a Congress leader requesting him to help his son find a police job so that the family could eat two meals a day. 

However, abject poverty did not deter him from taking part in Swadeshi movement. He worked with employees of postal department to establish a union for them and also worked with many trade unions for benefit of those who were employed by big merchants. He also worked on Tamil Literature and with the help of Professor Vaiyapuri Pillai published Tholkappiyam with the notes of Ilampooranar in 1922.

LAST YEARS 

VOC lived in Chennai till 1932. Unable to fight his way through poverty, he petitioned to the Madras High Court to restore his license. In 1932, he returned to Thoothukudi and practiced law in Kovilpatti and Tirunelveli till he died on November 18, 1936. He was never able to pay his debts. 

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19-6-2023.