Today is 5th Sept…and those in Chennai – know
well this road connecting
Beach
Road
[Kamarajar Salai] from Gandhi statue to
Gemini flyover [Anna Membalam] ……it is Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, earlier known
as
Cathedral Road
. Today is Teachers Day… in many countries, it
is a special day appreciating the role of Teacher… but the World Teachers’ Day
is distinctly different, for it is on Oct 5th.
In
India
, it is after a person whose
father was not keen on him learning
English or going to school – he wanted his son to become a priest – somehow
this man went to a school in Tiruttani.
Later he became a great scholar – the man - Sarvepalli Radhakrishna, a
scholar, philosopher and statesman who rose to become the first Vice President
of India (1952–1962) and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967.
One of
India
's most influential scholars
of comparative religion and philosophy, Radhakrishna built a bridge between the
East and the West by showing how the philosophical systems of each tradition
are comprehensible within the terms of the other. He is known for his
scholastic achievements. Radhakrishna was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest
civilian award in
India
,
in 1954. Among the many other honours he received were the British Knight
Bachelor in 1931 and honorary membership of the Order of Merit (1963), but
ceased to use the title "Sir" after
India
attained independence. Dr Radhakrishna believed that "teachers
should be the best minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday is
celebrated in
India
as Teachers' Day on 5 September.
5th Sept for sure should rekindle
the memories of another great patriot who underwent untold sufferings at the
hands of British… more than a century ago, his speech at Thai Poosa Mantapam in
the bed of river Thamirabarani at Tirunelveli [on the night of 9th March 1907]
sent shivers and he was convicted under sections 124A & 153A of Indian
Penal Code by the Bench consisting of CA White & Miller. In that famous
speech, he had thundered “"As soon as the English people set foot in
India
, poverty
also made its appearance in the country. So long as the foreign Government
exists we shall not prosper. So long as we continue to be the servants and
slaves of foreigners we shall have to endure hardships.”
One of the primitive implements for extracting
oil is bullock powered oil press. It is no engineering marvel – it has a large
wooden mortar with a groove encircling its tucked-in waist, into which a broad
plank with open semicircular end fits. A wooden pestle of a size proportionate
to the mortar rests on it; the other end is connected to the broad plank. The
power required to move, rotate and crush the ingredients is supplied by oxen –
which generally is a retired old animal no longer capable of pulling cart or
ploughing. To ever imagine replacing the animal with a man would send chill on
the nerves. But for the cruel British Govt, that was one way of punishing the
young and brave who dared to openly challenge them.
The Great man is - Vandanam Olaganathan
Chidambaram Pillai ~ more famous as VOC or Kappolottiya thamizhan, was born on 5th Sept 1872. His father was the eminent lawyer
Ulaganathan Pillai in Ottapidaram, Tuticorin Dist. Like his father, he also
became an advocate and often pleaded for the poor. His exemplary fighting
qualities made him establish the “Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company” during Nov
1906 by purchasing two steamships ‘S.S.Gaelia’ and ‘S.S.Lawoe’. This indeed is
an exemplary act when somebody can imagine the stringent measures and
imperialistic attitude of the Britishers who crushed any such activity by
brutal force. By running ships, he challenged the monopoly enjoyed by the
British India Steam Navigation Company, formed in 1856. In 1913 the company
later became part of P&O Group.
In trying circumstances where British wanted the venture
to collapse in no time, VOC posed formidable challenge. Undercutting and
offering freebies is not something new to Indian market, the British in those
days itself resorted to reducing the fare trip and offered free trips plus a
free umbrella and ensured that the trading of the Indian shipping company was
affected.
VOC did everything to create awareness of imperialism and
mobilised the workers of textile mills in that area.
On 12th Mar 1908 he was arrested on charges of sedition. Mahakavi Bharathiyar
and Subramanya Siva appeared in the Court in the case and VOC was sentenced to
double life imprisonment tantamount to 40 years ad confined to prison. He
was treated badly as a convict and subjected to inhuman torture. History has it
that he was yoked in place of bull in the oil press and made to work cruelly.
He was later released in Dec 1912. Upon release, he was not permitted to return
to Tirunelveli, his bar license had been stripped, his Company had been
liquidated and ships auctioned. VOC died on 18th Nov. 1936 in chill penury. One
of his sons contested from Ottapidaram in 1967 TN Assembly but lost. He was
also an erudite scholar. The 1961 tamil movie
‘Kappal ottiya Thamizhan’ (the Tamil who ran a ship) with Sivaji in lead role
is a legendary film in tamil tinseldom.
5th Sept marks his 142nd Birth
day. I for one is against celebrating birth days of those persons who are no
more. Still, it would remain a day worthy of remembering and recalling his
commitment, strong will and sacrifice. The young generations of
India
should
read his life as an example of resistance, strife, struggle, suffering and
sacrifice.
With regards –
S. Sampathkumar
5th Sept. 2013.