‘Kappalotia Tamilan’ Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram – V.O.C
We all celebrate the freedom fighters who have toiled under harsh conditions, under repressive British rule, almost lost their prime youth, and suffered mentally and physically. But have we ever cared to know what the freedom fighter’s families are doing after the demise of the freedom fighters? We hardly take any interest. The government also doesn’t care about them. Most of their legal heirs live in abject poverty or come up in life after their 3rd or 4th generation fight hard to have a decent life. Not only do the freedom fighters have to be remembered but also their legal heirs who never expected either special allowances nor any reservations.
We are going to see one such freedom fighter. The ‘Chekkizhutha Chemmal’, ‘Kappalotia Tamilan’ the great freedom fighter Vallinayagam Ollaganathan Chidambaram Pillai, popularly known a ‘VAA WU SEE’ in Tamil and V.O.C in English.
V.O.C was born in a small town Ottapidaram in Thirunelveli District on 5th September 1872 Olaganatham Pillai and Paramayi Ammal. He was named after his grandfather ‘Chidambaram’ which was the custom in those days. He was born into a family of lawyers, then it was called “Pleader”.
During his school and college days, he was a very aggressive and turbulent young man. He trained in horse riding, boxing, Silambam (Indian martial art), tree climbing, archery, shooting, and swimming. Fearing his aggressive and daring nature, his father Ollaganathan Pillai constantly kept him under check. After a brief exploration of the world in Madurai, Chidambaram Pillai returned to Ottapidaram and briefly worked in the Taluk office as a clerk. He did not like the routine mundane government job and expressed his desire to study law and to become a Pleader like his father and grandfather. Olaganatham Pillai was elated and sent him to study law in Trichy. V.O.C appeared in the Pleadership Examination of the High Court of Judicature of Madras and passed out in second grade.
V.O.C set up his practice in Ottapidaram and specialized in both civil and criminal pleadings. He became very popular among the people of Ottapidaram and its surrounding towns of Koilpatti, Tuticorin, and Maniyachi. He appeared free for poor people and peasants and earned the title of ‘POOR MAN’S LAWYER’. The administration feared Advocate Chidambaram Pillai. Police were always having an eye on Chidambaram Pillai who was able to break most of the falsely implicated police cases. He also earned much more than his father and grandfather and became one of the well-known families in the Thirunelveli District.
Two cases can be quoted for his brilliant approach to law and his attitude to standing by the truth:
In the first case, a police head constable was attacked and a case was filed against the accused. To prevent Chidambaram from appearing for the accused, the police named Chidambaram Pillai also in the case. They also secretly negotiated with Chidambaram Pillai that his name would be removed from the accused list if he promised not to appear for the accused in the case. Sensing the trick Chidambaram Pillai agreed not to appear in the case. The police removed Chidambaram’s name from the list of accused and presented the case for hearing. But on the day of the case hearing, Chidambaram promptly appeared in the case and won it. Since the understanding with the police was unofficial and private police count not do anything.
The second case was a civil case very interesting one, which made the son and father stand against each other in the case. A poor farmer had taken borrowed money from a local Englishman. The farmer’s relative eyed an ancestral property owned by the farmer. He connived with the English man and filed a case in court. The Englishman engaged Ollaganatham Pillai, Chidambaram Pillai’s father as his lawyer. The poor farmer not knowing what to do went to Chidambaram Pillai for help.
On the day of the hearing, the Magistrate asked the farmer if he had no ‘Vakil’ to plead his case. When the farmer could not reply, the court hall heard a booming voice of Chidambaram Pillai ‘Here I am’ I would be appearing for the farmer’. Thus, this case pitted Chidambaram Pillai against his father for the sake of helping poor people and also standing by the truth. He won the case for the farmer Madasamy who remained loyal to him forever and participated in the freedom struggle. In fact, some of the English magistrates and judges all praised V.O.C.’s knowledge of the law.
V.O.C met Subramania Bharathi and Subramania Siva during the Surat Congress meet and developed a liking for them. He supported militant way of Bala Gangadar Tilak.
To encourage swadeshi business and boycott British-made things he established “Swadeshi Stores” to sell Locally made products. He also understood that the British make money by doing business.
In those days exports and imports generated huge profits. Chidambaram Pillai realized that to sustain the freedom fighters and organize meetings and dharnas needed money. Donations are not the solutions he reasoned. Hence, he devised an idea, to hit the British where it hurts.
Accordingly, he had decided to float a Shipping Company against the Monopoly business of the British Steam Navigation Company. Inspired by the Swadeshi movement, V.O.C. mobilized the support of local merchants, and launched the first indigenous Indian shipping enterprise, the “Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company”, thus earning himself the name – “Kappalottiya Tamilan கப்பலோ ட்டிட் ய தமிழன்“. The Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company was registered on the 12th of November 1906. The company had a capital of Rs.10 lakh with 40,000 shares. He purchased two steamships, S.S. Gallia and S.S. Lawoe for the company and commenced regular services between Tuticorin and Colombo against the opposition of the British traders and the Imperial government. His efforts to widen the base of the Swadeshi movement, by mobilizing the workers of the Coral Mills (also managed by A. & F. Harvey) brought him into increasing conflict with the British Raj.
On March, 9th 1908, he along with Subramania Siva, and Subramaniya Bharathi staged a dharna against the atrocities committed by Collector Wynch.
On 12 March 1908, he was arrested on charges of sedition and for two days, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin witnessed an unprecedented strike that triggered violence, quelled only by the stationing of a punitive police force. But newspapers had taken note of V.O.C. This was the first General strike witnessed by the British regime.
The court imposed a sentence of two life imprisonment (in effect 40 years). The sentence was perhaps a reflection of the fear that the British had for V.O.C and the need to contain the rebellion and secure that others would not follow in Chidambarampillai’s footsteps. Appeal after appeal was filed and finally, the sentence was reduced. V.O.C. was confined in the Central Prison, Coimbatore from 9 July 1908 to 1 December 1910.
While he was in prison the British Steam Navigation Company conspired with the directors of the “Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company” and bought over the 2 ships and the company. Thus, in the year 1910, the “Historic First Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company” came to an end.
Apart from the Madras press, even the Amrita Bazaar Patrika from Kolkata (Calcutta) carried reports of V.O.C prosecution every day. Funds were raised for his defence not only in India but also by the Tamils in South Africa. Bharathy gave evidence in the case which had been instituted against him.
The British response was brutal and harsh. And the Swadeshi movement was quelled by treating the activists languishing in jail with hard labour and unhygienic conditions. V.O.C in prison was left to fend for himself. Surprisingly, nobody was there to help him. His wife, Meenakshi Ammal, followed him from the Tirunelveli sub-jail to the Coimbatore and Kannur central jails, where he spent his term and almost single-handedly organized.
He was not treated as a ‘political prisoner’ he was treated like a criminal and had to undergo brutal physical work. One such work was to run the oil mill. Instead of the bull locked to the yoke, Chidambaram Pillai was locked to the yoke and made to extract oil. He was asked to wear rough jute cloth. The British were trying to brake V.O.C’s mind and body. He endured all this though his health conditions deteriorated badly. He was released with a condition that he should not participate in any freedom struggle nor write anything against Britishers. His Pleader’s license was cancelled to make it worse for Chidambaram Pillai.
Finally, he was released from prison on 12th December 1912.
He moved the court to get his Pleader’s license restored. A British Magistrate George Wallace after hearing V.O.C knowledge ordered the restoration of his Pleader’s license. Pillai moved to Chennai with his family and started his practice and also started publishing books. Since it was not bringing enough revenue to meet the family’s needs, he also started a grocery shop and kerosene depot to earn some additional money. When things were going from bad to worse, he moved to his native and started practicing in Kovilpatti court.
Finally, he fell ill and died in the year 1936, on 18th November after hearing the poem of his great friend Subramania Bharathi. Ironically, he died in the Indian National Congress Office, indicating that he died for the cause of the nation and the Indian National Congress.
He wrote several books. Some of them are Meiyaram, Meiyarivu, Autobiography, and commentary on Thirukural. He also wrote a commentary on the Tamil Grammer book ‘Tholkapiyam’
Credits:
Several statues have been erected to commemorate his life, some of them are:
- At the entrance of the Congress committee office, Royapettah, Chennai (1939).
- At the arch of Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli.
- At Marina beach, Chennai. (unveiled at the World Tamil Conference).
- At the port, Thoothukudi.
- At the Entrance of Kattu Paramakudi (V.O.C Mahal) was unveiled on 18 November 2012.
He was also honoured by Govt. of India by releasing a Postal Stamp.
Tuticorin Port was named after him.
Theni and Bodi busstands were named after him.
It is also noteworthy to mention here the Actor Sivaji Ganesan brought the great PATRIOT V.O.C alive in his portrayal as Chidambaram Pillai in the movie ‘KAPPALOTIA TAMILAN’ produced and directed by B R Panthulu.
A staunch believer of Dharma he never forgot the people who helped him. He named one of his daughters Vedavalli not to forget the help he received from one of the rich families.
He also named one of his sons as Walleswaran in praise of Judge Wallace of Madras High Court who ordered to restore his Pleader’s license.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Born and brought up in Chennai
*Studied SSLC in St.Gabriels High School, Broadway, George Town)
*Did PUC in Kandasamy Naidu College of Arts and Science,Anna Nagar.
*Graduated in Science Degree from Nandanam Arts College, Madras University.
* Obtained a Post graduate Diplomo in Construction Management, from Madras Productivity Council,
*Trained in Law from Madurai Kamarajar University.
*Did Computer application course in Computer Point .
*Joined as Junior Inspector in Department of Cooperation ,
Govt of Tamilnadu after passing out Group 3 examination .
*Passed Diplomo in Cooperation in record time of 3 months. *Promoted as Senior Inspector within short period of 1 year. Served in the department for 4 years .
*Resigned after witnessing high level of corruption and switched to private Sector, Real Estate Business.
*Served for about 40 years in Real Estate Industry.
*Retired as Senior Vice President & Director from one of theleading Real Estate Group
XS Real Group.
*Now pursuing my passion of Book writing.
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