Freedom Fighters from Tamil Nadu Part – 11

Freedom Fighters from Tamil Nadu Part – 11

(இதன் தமிழ் வடிவத்திற்கு இங்கே சொடுக்கவும்)

52. Dr. Swaminatha Sastri

Early Life and Education

• Birth and Family: Dr. Swaminatha Sastri was born in 1887 on Masimagam day in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
• His father was Vasudeva Sastri, and his mother was Lakshmi Ammal.
• Education: He graduated from Madras Medical College, where he received formal medical training.

Medical Practice and Social Service

• Medical Practice: He practiced medicine in Trichy, where he was known for treating the poor free of cost, demonstrating a commitment to social welfare.
• Support for Harijans: He extensively extended his medical services to Harijans (scheduled castes) and actively propagated social reforms including the fight against untouchability and widow remarriage.

Involvement in the Indian Independence Movement

• Arrests and Imprisonment: He was arrested on multiple occasions due to his active involvement in the freedom struggle. His health was significantly impacted by his repeated imprisonments.
• Medical Services in Jail: The British police requested him to provide medical treatment to prisoners while in jail, reflecting his continued commitment to service even under difficult conditions.

Family Contributions

• His wife, Kalyani Sastri, was also an active participant in the freedom movement.
• In 1932, she was arrested and imprisoned for her involvement in the Quit India Movement.
• She was known for her oratory skills; she inspired many young people to join the struggle for independence.

Leadership and Recognition

• Trichy Harijan Seva Sangh: He served as the first president of the Trichy Harijan Seva Sangh, an organization dedicated to the welfare of Harijans.
• Post-Independence Recognition: After independence, he was honored with a golden spinning wheel by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, then President of India, in recognition of his devoted service to the Harijan community.

Literary Contributions

• He published the Tamil magazine Kairattai, contributing to the dissemination of ideas and information related to social reforms and the independence movement.

Health and Death

• Health Decline: Continuous imprisonment and related hardships led to a deterioration in his health.
• Death: Dr. Swaminatha Sastri passed away on July 13, 1946.  

53. Kallidaikurichi S. Subramaniya Iyer

Early Life and Education

• S. Subramaniya Iyer was born on September 15, 1917, in Kallidaikurichi village, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.
• His father was Sivarama Iyer and his mother was Kanakavalli Ammal.
• He studied up to the 10th standard, but his formal education was interrupted due to his involvement in the freedom struggle.

Activism and Role in the Freedom Movement

• Early Involvement: He joined the Indian national movement at a young age, demonstrating a strong commitment to the cause of Indian independence.
• Final Examination Incident: He was not allowed to write his final SSLC examination due to his vigorous anti-British speech at a meeting presided by V.O. Chidambaram Pillay.

Contributions to the Independence Movement

• Assistant Editor: He served as an assistant editor for the Tamil magazine ‘Sudandira Sangu’ from 1938 to 1940, which was known for its anti-British stance.
• Individual Civil Disobedience: He initiated Individual Civil Disobedience in Madras on January 22, 1941.
• He was arrested by Inspector Crosswell for his activities against the British government.
• Imprisonment (1941): He sentenced to six months of rigorous imprisonment for campaigning against the British and his role in the anti-government magazine.
• Quit India Movement: He was arrested again in 1942 for participating in the Quit India movement, resulting in imprisonment at Alipur Jail for one year.

Post-Independence Recognition

• Congress Committee Roles: He served in various positions within the Congress Committee at both state and district levels, contributing to the political and social development of the region.
• Tamra Patra (1972): He received the Tamra Patra from the Central Government in recognition of his contributions to the freedom struggle.
• Rotary Club Citation (1997): He was honored by the Rotary Club of Madras with a citation for his significant contributions to the independence movement.

Legacy and Death

• Death: Kallidaikurichi S. Subramaniya Iyer passed away on June 2, 1998.

54. Veera Raghava Naidu

Early Life and Education

• Veera Raghava Naidu born in Thillaiyadi, Nagappattinam district, Tamil Nadu.
• He studied until the 7th standard at Ayyasamy Senthamil Vidhyasala, Thillaiyadi.

Indian National Army Involvement

• He joined the Indian National Army in 1942 in Singapore and became a close friend of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Initially working as a press foreman, he was later absorbed into the field propaganda unit.

Role in the Burma Front

• Veera Raghava Naidu was trained at Baktan camp and posted at Rangoon city.
• He was responsible for producing front-line code words, books, and INA secret papers at Foreman Printing, Lewis Street Mess.

Imprisonment

• When Rangoon became an open city, he was arrested at Lewis Street Mess and detained at Rangoon Central Jail from 15 May 1945 to 3 March 1946.
• After Netaji Bose's death, Veera Raghava Naidu returned to his native village.

Death:

• He passed away on 12 January 2012 in Thillaiyadi, Nagappattinam district.

55. I.B. Arangasamy Raja

Early Life

• I.B. Arangasamy Raja born in 1886 in Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu, to Bhoopal Raj and Lakshmi Ammal.

Role in Home Rule Movement

• I.B. Arangasamy Raja was active in the Home Rule Movement started by Annie Besant in 1915, setting up a branch in Rajapalayam in 1916.

Activism and Arrests 

• He led the boycott of foreign cotton goods and was arrested on 13 January 1922 under the Public Nuisance Act, sentenced to seven days of rigorous imprisonment in Srivilliputtur sub jail.
• He also played a crucial role in starting the Khadi Movement in Srivilliputhur in 1921.

Salt March and Later Life

• In 1930, I.B. Arangasamy Raja led a six-member team on a Salt March from Rajapalayam.

Death:

• He passed away on 7 May 1950.

56. Hanumanthan Patti S. Krishnaswamy Iyengar

Early Life

• Krishnaswamy Iyengar was born in 1883 at Hanumanthan Patti village, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.

Freedom Movement Participation

• Krishnaswamy Iyengar was an influential orator and active participant in the Swadeshi movement in Bengal in 1907.
• He joined and actively participated in the Home Rule Movement started by Annie Besant.

Imprisonment and Recognition

• He was arrested multiple times by the British for his protests and was imprisoned in 1923 at Dindigul Jail for one year for violating public meeting restrictions.
• Muthuramalinga Thevar, a freedom fighter from Madurai, praised him as “A lion born in a Brahman family.”

Poetry and Legacy

• Krishnaswamy Iyengar was also a poet, writing songs related to nationalism.

57. Namakkal S.R. Hanumantha Rao

Early Life and Background

• S.R. Hanumantha Rao born in 1911 at Namakkal on Vijayadasami day.
• He was the son of “Thadapudal” S.R. Ragavendra Rao, an eminent lawyer.

Early Involvement in the Freedom Movement

• Hanumantha Rao first participated in the freedom movement at the age of 17.
• He was arrested during the Neill Statue Satyagraha in 1927, which aimed to demolish the statue of Neill, and was imprisoned at Berhampur Jail.

Subsequent Arrests and Activism

• S.R. Hanumantha Rao was again arrested for protesting to shut toddy shops, boycotting foreign goods, and participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• He spent many years in Rasipuram Jail and was imprisoned in Bellari Jail in 1941 during the Individual Satyagraha.

Continued Struggle

• During the Quit India Movement in 1942, he was brutally attacked by police, sustaining severe injuries that left lasting marks on his face and body.
• His activism extended to the Khadi Movement, prohibition movement, and the abolition of untouchability.

Service and Legacy

• He served as a member of the Namakkal Congress Committee from 1932 to 1945.

58. V.M. Munuswamy

Early Life and Background

• V.M. Munuswamy was born on 2 October 1913 to World War I veterans Murukesan and Muthammal.
• Initially inclined towards Extremism, he was later inspired by Gandhi's non-violent ideology.

Contribution to the Freedom Movement

• Munuswamy was active in nationalist movements and was imprisoned for his activities.
• He was released after serving 3 years.
• In May 1930, he was jailed for 7 years in Vellore Fort Sub Jail for displaying slogans and conducting stage dramas against British rule.

Arrests and Imprisonment

• During the Quit India Movement in 1942, he was arrested again and imprisoned for 7 years in Vellore Fort Sub Jail along with other freedom fighters including Potti Sriramulu and Sundaresan Shanmugam.

Death

• V.M. Munuswamy passed away on 19 February 2008 at the age of 94.

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