Freedom Fighters from Tamil Nadu Part – 14

Freedom Fighters from Tamil Nadu Part – 14

(இதன் தமிழ் வடிவத்திற்கு இங்கே சொடுக்கவும்)

71. Halasyam

Birth and Early Life

• Halasyam was born in angara village, Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu.
• His parents are Narayanasamy Iyer and Perunthiru Ammal.

Education:

• Halasyam studied law at Madras Law College.
• He became a qualified lawyer upon completion of his studies.

Profession:

• He practiced as a lawyer.

Political and Social Contributions

Involvement in the Freedom Struggle:

• Khadi Movement: Halasyam actively participated in promoting the use of Indian-made cloth as a symbol of self-reliance.
• Untouchability Movement: He worked towards the eradication of untouchability and promoting social equality.
• Temple Entry Movement: He advocated for the right of lower-caste individuals to enter temples.

Arrests and Imprisonments:

• Halasyam was arrested during the 1930 Salt Satyagraha, a major civil disobedience campaign against British salt laws.
• He was imprisoned again during the 1942 Quit India Movement, which called for an end to British rule in India.
• He was also arrested for his involvement in the Karur Derailing Protest in 1942, a protest against colonial policies.

Political Positions Held:

• Halasyam served as Member of the Legislative Council in 1935.
• He held office as Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1936.
• He led the Congress party as a District Congress President.
• He contributed to the governance of the University as a Senate Member of the University of Madras.

Other Achievements

• He was renowned for his eloquence as an orator.
• He accomplished translator and linguist, contributing to the promotion and preservation of languages.

Death

• He passed away on January 7, 1954, at the age of 58.

72. Perunchiththiranar

Birth and Early Life

• Date of Birth: 10 March 1933.
• Place of Birth: Salem, Tamil Nadu.
• Parents: Duraiswamy, Mrs. Kunjammal Duraiswamy.

Education and Early Work

• Early Literary Work:
• Perunchiththiranar began composing Tamil poetry during his school years.
• He gained recognition for his poetic talent, including praise from the renowned poet Bharathidasan.

Political and Social Contributions

• 1972 Tamil Nadu Freedom Conference: He organized the inaugural conference despite government-imposed prohibitory orders aimed at preventing it.
• The conference was held despite these restrictions, and Perunchiththiranar, along with other attendees, was arrested for defying the order.
• Subsequent Conferences: He organized similar conferences in 1973 and 1974 to continue advocating for Tamil self-determination and autonomy.

Participation in Key Conferences:

• Tamil Nadu National Self-Determination Conference (1990): He participated in this conference organized by Tamil National Movement (TNM) President P. Nedumaran in Thanjai, emphasizing his continued commitment to Tamil rights.

Imprisonments:

• Total Imprisonments: He was arrested and imprisoned 8 times over his lifetime.
• Duration in Jail: He spent approximately 27 months in prison.

Death

• He passed away on June 11, 1995, at the age of 62.

73. Padmasani Ammal

Birth and Early Life

• Date of Birth: 1897 
• Place of Birth: Madurai, Tamil Nadu. 

Family Background

• Father: Srivilliputtur Sundararaja Iyangar. 
• Education: She attended a girls' school in Madurai as encouraged by her father.
• Husband: Srinivasa Varadan.
• He was a Tamil pandit and teacher at a pathshala in Manamadurai. 
• He left his job to join the freedom movement as a reporter and manager for the Desabaktan and Navasakthi magazines in Madurai.

Involvement in the Freedom Movement

Activism and Contributions: 

• Both Padmasani Ammal and her husband actively participated in the freedom movement. 
• They Sang the songs of ‘Subramaniya Bharathi’ to promote the national cause. 
• They engaged in the ‘Khadi Movement’ and produced spinning wheels in Madurai. 
• They joined and supported the ‘Sri Bharatha Ashram’, founded by Subramaniyam Siva, and maintained it during Siva’s imprisonment.

Protests and Imprisonment:

• In 1922, Srinivasa Varadan was arrested for protesting against liquor shops in Madurai. 
• Padmasani Ammal met him at the police station and pledged to continue his work. 
• She participated in various movements, including the salt satyagraha, prohibition movement, and protests against foreign goods shops. 
• She spent many years in jail due to her involvement in these activities.

Congress Involvement: 

• Padmasani Ammal joined the ‘Indian National Congress’. 
• She represented Madurai at the ‘Madras Presidency Conference’ in Tirupur. 
• She refused financial aid from the Jamunalal Bajaj fund for freedom fighters offered by the Congress.

Public Engagements: 

• She engaged in propagating the freedom movement through songs and dramas written by Bharathi, Namakkal Ramalingam Pillai, and Subramaniyam Siva. 
• She delivered speeches at meetings organized by Dr. Varadarajulu Naidu in Kovilpatti, T.V. Kalyanasundaram in Kulithalai, and Rajaji in Aypadi. 
• She represented Tamil Nadu at the Congress conference held at Belgaum, presided over by Gandhiji.

74. Walajapettai Kalyanaraman

Birth and Early Life

• Date of Birth: 1907
• Place of Birth: Guttiyam village, erstwhile North Arcot district, Tamil Nadu.

Early Activism

• Student Activism:
• While Kalyanaraman was a student in the Teacher's Training School, he hoisted the Indian national flag despite British prohibitions.
• He was arrested and released with a warning for this act of defiance.

Involvement in the Freedom Movement

• Legal Denial Movement (1932):
• Kalyanaraman participated in the movement and was imprisoned for one year at Vellore Jail.
• Further Imprisonments:
• In 1939, Kalyanaraman spent nine months in imprisonment as a security prisoner at Alipuram and Bellari jails.
• During the August Movement, he was arrested and imprisoned in Vellore and Thanjavur jails.

Political and Social Contributions

• He served as Secretary of the North Arcot Congress Committee.
• And he served as member of the district board for several years.

Social Reform:

• He actively protested liquor consumption.
• He dedicated most of his life to the welfare of Harijans.
• He served as President of the North Arcot Harijan Seva Sangh.

Recognition and Honors

• State Government Honor (1956):
• He was awarded a gold medal for his contributions to social welfare and the independence movement.
• Tamra Patra (1972):
• He received the Tamra Patra for his participation in the Indian independence movement.

75. K.R. Nallasivam

Birth and Early Life

• Date of Birth: 1925
• Place of Birth: Chennimalai, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu.

Involvement in the Freedom Movement

• Individual Satyagraha Movement:
• Nallasivam actively participated in the movement, which aimed to challenge British rule through non-violent means.

Imprisonments:

• 1941 and 1942: Nallasivam courted imprisonment twice for his participation in the freedom struggle.
• 1948: He was imprisoned for one year for his involvement in the Agricultural Movement.
• 1957 and 1961: He was imprisoned for participating in the movement for defying laws conducted by the Socialist Party.

Later Contributions

• Editorial Work:
• From 1957 to 1962, he served as the editor of “Tamilzhaga Vivasayi”, a publication focusing on agricultural and social issues.

76. Kanchipuram Dr. P.S. Srinivasan

Birth and Early Life

• Date of Birth: 20 July 1893.
• Place of Birth: Pattukottai, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.

Education and Medical Career

• P.S. Srinivasan Studied at Presidency College and Madras Medical College.
• He graduated as a doctor in 1917.

Medical Practice:

• P.S. Srinivasan started practicing medicine in Kanchipuram.
• He established a popular hospital in Kanchipuram city.

Involvement in the Freedom Movement

• Influence and Leadership:
• P.S. Srinivasan was inspired by Gandhiji's speeches, joined the Indian national movement.
• He had a close association with prominent Congress leaders such as Rajaji, Satyamurthy, Bakthavatchalam, and Kamaraj.

Congress Leadership:

• P.S. Srinivasan was the first Secretary and later President of the Chengalpattu District Congress Committee.
• He was arrested four times for his active participation in the freedom struggle, spending several years in prison.

Political and Administrative Roles

• Legislative and Municipal Roles:
• P.S. Srinivasan was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1937.
• He became a member of the Madras Presidency Council in 1949.
• He served as a Kanchipuram municipal member for 25 years.
• He was the Chairman of the Kanchipuram Municipality from 1938 to 1958.

Death

• He passed away in 1962 at the age of 69.

77. Arani Subramaniya Sastri

Birth and Early Life

• Year of Birth: 1879
• Place of Birth: Arani village, North Arcot district, Tamil Nadu.
• Parents: Mangalam Viswanatha Sastri and Venkamma.

Education and Legal Career

• Education: Subramaniya Sastri completed graduation in law.
• Legal Career: He became a successful lawyer, earning fame and wealth through his profession.

Political and Social Contributions

• Congress Leadership:
• He served as the Secretary of the North Arcot Congress Committee in 1904.
• He organized the sixth political conference of the Madras Congress Committee in 1912, presided over by Bipin Chandra Pal.

Involvement in the Freedom Movement:

• He joined Gandhiji's Satyagraha movement in 1919.
• He quit his legal profession in 1920 to join the non-cooperation movement and boycott the court.
• He was elected as the first President of the linguistics-based Congress Committee formed during the Nagpur Conference of Congress in 1920.
• He was arrested in 1921 for conducting a public meeting at Vellore along with Rajaji and imprisoned at Vellore Jail.

Educational Contributions

• School Foundation: He started a school in Vellore, which continues to function.

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