Freedom Fighters from Tamilnadu – 17

Freedom Fighters from Tamilnadu – 17

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90. Vai. Mu. Kothainayaki Ammal

Early Life and Background:

• She was born on 1 December 1901 in Nirvalur, British India, to N. S. Venkatachary and Pattammal.

Education and Early Influences:

• She had no formal schooling and could neither read nor write at the time of her marriage.
• Later, she had learned Telugu from her mother-in-law and picked up Tamil by singing Thiruvaimozhi verses.
• Her early interests flourished as she became proficient in Tamil through storytelling and exposure to dramas.
• Parthasarathy supported her education and encouraged her literary pursuits, fostering her love for literature.

Literary Career:

• Early Works: She started with her first play, Indira Mohana (1924), published by Noble Press, which received positive reviews.

Major Contributions:

• She authored 115 books and published the monthly Tamil magazine ‘Jaganmohini’.
• Notably, she was the first female Tamil writer to pen a detective novel.
• Her notable works include plays such as ‘Arunodhyam’, ‘Vatsa Kumar’, and ‘Dayanidhi’.
• In 1925, she became the editor of ‘Jaganmohini’.
• Where she introduced significant changes and published contemporary works, greatly increasing the magazine's popularity.

Public Speaking and Music:

• She was known for her engaging public speaking, captivating audiences at political meetings by incorporating stories into her speeches.
• Active as a speaker for the Congress Party, she inspired many with her eloquence.
• In addition to her oratory skills, she was talented in classical Carnatic music, singing patriotic songs at Congress meetings and for All India Radio.
• She encouraged D. K. Pattammal and earned admiration from Mahakavi Bharathiar.
• She also composed classical music, with some of her works included in the book ‘Isai Margam’.

Freedom Struggle and Social Activism:

• She met Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturbhai in 1925, which inspired her to embrace a life of simplicity and adopt khadi clothing.
• In 1931, she participated in the Satyagraha agitation, resulting in an eight-month prison sentence.
• Her activism continued when she was arrested in 1932 for her involvement in the agitation against the Lodhi Commission and the boycott of foreign clothes.
• During her imprisonment, she also wrote novels that reflected the experiences of her fellow prisoners.
• After Gandhi's assassination, she founded the Mahatmaji Seva Sangam to support poor and orphaned children.
• She also donated ten acres of land awarded to her by the government to Sri Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan Movement.

Film Industry:

• She served as a member of the Film Censor Board for ten years, working diligently to ensure that censored scenes were not reintroduced into films.
• Several of her novels were adapted into movies, including Anadhai Penn, Chiththi, Rajmohan, and Nalinasekaran.
• Posthumously, she was honored with the Award for Best Cinema Story Writer for some of these adaptations, recognizing her significant contributions to both literature and film.

Public and Social Service:

• She was skilled in midwifery, providing free services to women of all castes and creeds.
• In recognition of her public service, the government awarded her ten acres of land, which she generously donated to Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan Movement.

Death:

• She passed away on 20 February 1960.

91. Vanchinatha Iyer (Sankara Iyer)

Early Life and Background:

• Birthplace: Shenkottai, Tamil Nadu
• Family: He was son of Shri Raghupathy Iyer.
• Education: He attended school up to the primary level.
• Occupation: He joined the Forest Department after his schooling.

Revolutionary Activities:

• He actively involved in revolutionary activities against British colonial rule in India.

Key Event:

• Assassination of Robert Ashe: On 17 June 1911, at the age of 25, Vanchinatha Iyer assassinated Robert Ashe, the District Collector of Tirunelveli, also known as Collector Dorai.
• Ashe was shot at Maniyachi Station while enroute to Madras.
• Aftermath: Following the assassination, Vanchinatha Iyer committed suicide.

Associates and Organization:

• Nilakanta Brahmachari, who recruited revolutionaries across the Madras Presidency planned attacks against British officials.
• Connections: Shankar Krishna Iyer, Vanchinatha's brother-in-law, was instrumental in introducing Vanchinatha to Nilakanta Brahmachari.
• Organization: Along with Nilakanta Brahmachari, Shankar Krishna Iyer, and other associates, Vanchinatha Iyer helped found the Bharatha Matha Sangam.
• This organization was responsible for plotting the assassination of key British figures.

Legacy:

• Vanchi Maniyachi Station: The railway station where the assassination took place has been renamed Vanchi Maniyachi in his honor.

92. S. Subramania Iyer

Early Life and Background:

• Born: Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Career and Contributions:

• Profession: Lawyer, jurist, and freedom fighter
• Chief Justice: Subramania Iyer was the first Indian to serve as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• Knighthood: He was knighted in 1900 in recognition of his legal and public service contributions.

Indian National Congress (INC):

• Subramania Iyer was one of the founding members of the INC and played a significant role in the party’s activities.
• Peasant Rights Advocate: As Chairman of the INC’s 1914 Madras session, he highlighted the importance of village panchayats and advocated for ryot (peasant) relief funds.

Swadeshi Movement:

• Subramania Iyer was a strong supporter of the Swadeshi movement, which aimed at promoting indigenous industries and self-sufficiency.

Home Rule League:

• In 1916, Subramania Iyer and Annie Besant founded the Home Rule League, with this he serving as its honorary President.
• Letter to U.S. President: In 1917, Subramania Iyer wrote a letter to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlining the oppression and misrule in India.
• This letter prompted a detailed discussion in the British Parliament and led to a personal rebuke from Viceroy Chelmsford.
• Renunciation of Knighthood: In response to the insult from the Viceroy, Subramania Iyer renounced his knighthood, declaring it as an impediment to his “legitimate exercise of his civic rights.”

Death

• Subramania Iyer passed away in 1924.

93. Sir Pazhamaneri Sundaram Sivaswami Iyer

Early Life and Background:

• Sir Pazhamaneri Sundaram Sivaswami Iyer was born on 7 February 1864 in Palamaneri, Tanjore, Madras Presidency.
• He was a distinguished lawyer, administrator, and politician.

Education and Early Career:

• He attended the S. P. G. Branch School and Manambuchavadi High School for his schooling.
• He pursued higher education at Government Arts College in Kumbakonam.
• He graduated from Presidency College, Madras, in January 1882 in Sanskrit and History.
• He then studied law at Madras Law College.
• He set up his legal practice in 1885.

Career in Law and Administration:

• Sivaswami Iyer served as Advocate-General of the Madras Presidency from 1907 to 1911.
• He was a member of the Executive Council of the Governor of Madras from 1911 to 1917.
• He served as Vice-Chancellor of Madras University from 1916 to 1918.
• Later, he became Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 13 April 1918 to 8 May 1919.
• He was a member of the Council of State (India) from 1922 to 1923.

Political and Public Service:

• Sivaswami Iyer was a founding member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
• He played an instrumental role in its activities.
• He supported the Home Rule Movement alongside Annie Besant.
• He served as an Indian delegate to the League of Nations in 1922, where he condemned the mandate policy of General Smuts of South Africa.
• He criticized the Simon Commission upon its arrival in India.
• He was a member of the Indian Military College Committee in 1931, advocating for an indigenous military academy.

Notable Contributions and Legacy:

• Sivaswami Iyer addressed critical issues like village panchayats and ryot relief funds during his tenure with the INC.
• He promoted indigenous industries and self-sufficiency through the Swadeshi Movement.
• He strongly condemned the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919.
• He also supported reforms for women's education.

Honours: 

• Sivaswami Iyer received a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1908.
• He got a Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1912.
• He received Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in 1915.

Published Works:

• Sivaswami Iyer published works include ‘Martial Law Administration in the Panjab’ (1919) and ‘The Simon Commission Report Examined’ (1930).
• He co-authored ‘Five Laws of Library Science’ (1931) with S. R. Ranganathan and W. C. Berwick Sayers.
• He also co-authored ‘Lord Hastings and the Indian States: A Study of the Relations of the British Government in India with the Indian States 1813-1823’ (1930) with Mohan Singh Mehta.
• His work ‘Evolution of Hindu Moral Ideals’ was published in 1935.

Legacy:

• In his memory, the Lady Sivaswami Iyer Girls School was named after him.

Death

• Sir Pazhamaneri Sundaram Sivaswami Iyer passed away on 5 November 1946.

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