The Role of South India in the Freedom Movement

Subramaniam Bharati

It will be difficult to enumerate the heroic qualities as they are normally understood in the personality of Subramaniam Bharati. However, there is heroism and heroism; indeed there is the heroism of the patriot and poet who loves his nation and pours out this love in poetry. This literature which becomes immortal inspires men to acts of great valour and self-sacrifice. Of this type Subramaniam Bharati stands out as one of the great exemplars.

Bharati was born in Ettayapuram, in Tamil Nadu, a place well known for the great arts of poetry and music. Its fame had spread throughout the southern parts of India and Tamil scholars and musicians lined up to seek patronage in the court of Ettayapuram. Bharati was a born poet and gifted with the qualities of genius. He learned the nuances of the Tamil language and poetry through his association with the scholars at the court of Ettayapuram. Bharati began writing poetry at the age of seven. When he was eleven he wrote poetry in such a way that even learned men praised him. It was at this time that the title of Bharati -a name of the Goddess of Knowledge was conferred on him. Bharati was mature in mind, proficient in the language and had great talent for poetry. He had the poet's love of solitude and nature, pleasure in composing poetry, sweet sense of rhythm and love of learning. In addition to these, he had qualities like straightforwardness and a strong belief in truth. He had great intelligence and simplicity.

Bharati was married at the age of fifteen to Chellamai, a beautiful girl of seven. She was a source of inspiration for Bharati later in life and he sings many songs which express the heights of his advaitic experience.

Many years of Bharati's life were spent in the field of journalism. He began his career as a journalist, as sub-editor in 'Swadeshmitran' in November 1904. During this time, he was much involved in politics and wrote prolifically. He composed and sang a poem praising Bengal and published it in the Swadeshmitran in September 1905.

Bharati was a great admirer of Sister Nivedita. His meeting with her brought about many changes in his personality; he was greatly attracted by her rare vigour, love and strength. Above all he was deeply touched by her intense patriotism. Bharati soon had a vision of Mother India or Bharata Devi and visualised Mother India as Bharati Shakti. As a result of these experiences he decided to fight for the independence of India and the equality of women in India. He received an added impetus when a weekly magazine, 'India' was started by Thirumalachariar. It was here that he wrote fiery articles on the Indian nation and awakened in the people of south India the will to fight the British.

An important event in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement was the meeting of the Congress at Surat; this meeting represented the clash between the two camps known as the Moderates and the Nationalists. The Moderates were led by Dadabhai Naoroji and the nationalists were led by Tilak and Sri Aurobindo. The meeting ended in disarray.

After his participation in the Surat Congress, Bharati was fascinated by the personalities of Tilak and Sri Aurobindo. Every event in the political history of India during the freedom struggle came to Bharati's notice, and he wrote his own commentary about it in Swadesamitran. At that time Bharati wrote an appeal to Tamil scholars asking them to find poems from Tamil literature which praised India or to send their own poems to him. His intention was to publish poems with national fervour, written at different times by different scholars. At the same time he began writing his own songs and published them in the books, Swadesha Githangal and Gnana Ratham. In this way he aroused an intense patriotism among the Tamil people. It was not therefore surprising that soon a warrant was

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issued for the arrest of the editor of the magazine M. Srinivasan, who was arrested and imprisoned for five years. It was then that Bharati decided to go away to Pondicherry and there he continued publishing the India magazine.

The most profitable years of Bharati's life were the ten years spent in Pondicherry. The poet, the philosopher and the patriot in him flourished through the most difficult but wonderful years in Pondicherry. He had a large circle of friends whose influence on him is marked. He was fortunate to have Sri Aurobindo's friendship at this time. As it turned out, this proved the greatest influence on his spiritual growth. The two of them joined together in reading and doing extensive research on the Vedas. They read almost all the originals along with the available interpretations. Bharati translated some of the Veda mantras in Tamil, which is truly an extraordinary piece of work.

Nolini Kanta Gupta, one of the close disciples of Sri Aurobindo writes:

"At one time, one of our main subjects of study was the Veda. This went on for several months, for about an hour every evening, at the Guest House. Sri Aurobindo came and took his seat at the table and we sat around. Subramanya Bharati the Tamil poet and myself were the two who showed the keenest interest. Sri Aurobindo would take up a hymn from the Rigveda, read it aloud once, explain the meaning of every line and phrase and finally give a full translation. I used to take notes. There are many words in the Rigveda whose derivation is doubtful and open to differences of opinion. In such cases, Sri Aurobindo used to say that the particular meaning he gave was only provisional and that the matter could be finally decided only after considering it in all the contexts in which the word occurred. His own method of interpreting the Rigveda was this: on reading the text he found its true meaning by direct intuitive vision through an inner concentration in the first instance, and then he would give it an external verification in the light of reason, making the necessary changes accordingly."1

Amrita, another disciple of Sri Aurobindo writes:

"Because of Bharati's association with Sri Aurobindo and his immense respect and devotion for him, I felt in me a great inexplicable attraction to Bharati. Every evening, a little after dark, Bharati would go to Sri Aurobindo's house. He chose that time not with the purpose of avoiding people who would want to make a note of his visit. It was because Sri Aurobindo used to come out of his room and receive his friends only after seven in the evening. An exception, however, was made for close friends like Bharati and Srinivasachari, who, at a very urgent need, could see him at any time of the day. Their visits to Sri Aurobindo's house after seven had become a regular affair. Bharati would visit without fail; it was not so with Srinivasachari, however. There was hardly any subject which they did not talk about in their meetings at night. They discussed literature, society, politics, the various arts; they exchanged stories, even cracked jokes, and had a lot of fun. In the absence of Srinivasachari their talks would no doubt disregard all limits of sect or cult. In Bharati's absence, Sri Aurobindo's talks with the inmates of the house at dinnertime would reach the height of the humorous. That apart, I heard people say that Bharati and others would return home by eight-thirty or nine at night and carry in their hearts lovingly whatever share of the divine riches they had the capacity to receive. In consequence of their inner and outer change they would find the exterior world also changed the next morning. A long time after, I too had a little of this mystic experience. But now as I cast a retrospective look, I perceive that the past was in a way a period of tapasya before reaching the Gurudeva.

As I said, not a single evening would pass without Bharati's calling on Sri Aurobindo. Bharati delighted in pouring out to Sri Aurobindo all that he had read in the dailies, all about local affairs and happenings in the suburbs. And if, however, Sri

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Aurobindo made comments on one or two of the points raised, his joy would know no bounds.

On his way to Sri Aurobindo's house, Bharati would first call at Srinivasachari's, go with him to the beach, stay there till 7 p.m., and then make for Sri Aurobindo's house. The three together would jocularly discuss a variety of subjects. Bharati, on his way back, would often halt for a while at Srinivasachari's and then go home. As soon as they reached home from Sri Aurobindo's, the people assembled there would put the identical question: "What did Sri Aurobindo say today?" It was as though the Jivatman wanted to know the Will of the Paramatman."2

Bharati lived in Pondicherry till 1916. He returned to British India and continued writing inspiring poetry and his love of India became more intense. He was a great devotee of Shakthi and he strove to possess in his soul, spirit, body and mind, great vigour and strength, and attaining this became the chief aim of his life. But along with Shakti, he also aspired for Bhakti and Knowledge. All this he poured out in celestial poetry which inspired the youth. He believed that India could lead the world in many respects and knew that in order to do that India must first herself become free. Till the end of his life he strove to awaken the people of India to her great mission. He died on 11 September 1921.

Bharati was inspired by the passion for freedom; indeed to him freedom was the very breath of his life. His whole aim of life was to kindle the same passion for freedom in fellow Indians and this he did through his great poetry. Today his is a household name among all the Tamil-speaking people of India and his very name inspires reverence and patriotism.

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