Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Miscellaneous topics on Carnatic music
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cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks kvchellappa for the continuation of Arasi's fine translations.
Very many historical facts are here as are our choice Freedom fighters.
Your presentation is equally engrossing....

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

Thanks. I must acknowledge that I had the benefit of Madam's suggestions.

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

I'm so glad the translation continues. Thanks Chellappa! Soon, Sridharang is going to continue until I can find the time to concentrate on the rest of Chitra Bharathi's pages.

CML,
Kindly add to the post the title: The Congress Which Ended In Chaos

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

This story also shows how Arvind Ghosh turned Radical and later extradited himself at Pondichery and later joined by Bharathy...

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

Image

Our Congress Tour

On the evening of Saturday, the 21st, some 30 of us, members of the new party, set out from Chennai Central Station. Assembled in our group were Thanjavur Sri K.Ramasamy Iyer, Thootthukkudi Sri Chidambaram Pillai, (from Chennai) Sri Sakkarai Chetty, B.A.,B.L., Sri Duraisamy Iyer, M.A.,B.L., Sri Sankaranarayana Iyer, Sri Venkataramana Rao, Sri Yathiraja Surendranath, myself and a few others, some wealthy people from Thiruvallikkeni and a few gentlemen from outside Chennai.

Our friends and several gentlemen had come to the station from different directions, out of patriotism, wishing to see us off with warmth. The youth, passionate in loyalty to the nation and being the guardians of the future of Bharatha Desam, had come and caused us great joy. Though we had engaged coolies to lug our baggage carts to our rooms, some good-natured youngsters lugged the carts themselves.
(This was published by Bharathi soon after his return from Surat Congress.)

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks kvc for the excellent translation!

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

Welcome.
It gives me great ananda to be associated in this group.

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

Image

Bala Bharatha

Many, who knew Bharathi as a Tamil poet and prose writer par excellence, did not bear in mind his proficiency in English or English journalism.

The competence that he brought to bear on just a political weekly viz. ‘India’ shone ever greater in the English monthly called ‘Bala Bharatha’ published from Nov. 1907. The full name of the periodical was ‘Bala Bharatha or Young India’.

In Chennai, C.M.Nanjunda Rao, a well-known doctor, managed Bala Bharatha for Bharathi. He was a dear friend of Bharathi though 20 years his elder. He also had unlimited devotion to Vivekananda.

The monthly, Bala Bharatha, came with the epithet, ‘magazine for national resurgence’. Bharathi was proclaimed as its editor. He wrote copiously in it without adding his name. Nivedita Devi, the supreme guru of Bharathi, also contributed to every issue of her disciple’s magazine anonymously. Several other intellectuals wrote in their own names.

The monthly magazine contained sections on philosophy, nationalism, reformation in the lives of people and Vedanta. Vivekananda’s powerful English slogan, ‘Arise, awake, stop not until your goal is reached’ and ‘kuNDalini’ of national consciousness figured in the top page.

The magazine came in royal quarto size (9”x6”) running to about 32 pages every month. G.C. Lokanathan and Bros. published it from Guardian Press, Mount Road, in top class paper and finest print with standard articles. Registered No. was M. 701, annual subscription for India, Burma and Ceylon Rs. one and a half and for abroad 3 shillings or 1 U.S. dollar. Those ordering six numbers would be charged for 5 only.

The address of the magazine was ‘Goodwyn and Co., Mylapore, South Chennai’. This was the address of Nanjunda Rao’s drugstore in Kutcheri Road. The revolutionaries that visited Chennai used to stay in the upstairs of the store.

Dr. Nanjunda Rao was a Maharashtrian, born in 1862 as the son of a poor worker. He was expert in studies and won several prizes and medals. He completed medical studies as a student of Mysore Government in Madras Medical College and secured first rank in the university in the course offered those days called M.B. and M.C. (Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Curatory).

As soon as he commenced practice in Mylapore, several Englishmen including Madam Annie Besant and Bishop Leadpbeater, and many prominent Indians went to him for treatment. He used to practise Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems also apart from Allopathy. By virtue of this, he described himself as an ‘eclectic physician’.

Nanjunda Rao donated liberally for several public causes. He is the one who built the house in Thiruvallikkeni, where Bharathi lived. Besides, a red house situated opposite Kapaliswarar tank in Mylapore was the doctor’s house.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Very very interesting tidbits!
Are these 'english writings' of Bharathy collectively publoished?
They are national treasures!
PB
Can you ferret out more details?

Incidentally you mean "eidectic physician" :D
http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/eidetic

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

kvchellappa,
Thanks--and to vasanthakokilam for helping in putting the illustrated page up.

CML,
That's a new word for me. Interestingly, the original says eclectic physician. rA a Padmanabhan perhaps meant 'eidectic' but wrote eclectic instead. Possible.

vasanthakokilam
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by vasanthakokilam »

eclectic - "selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines or methods"
That matches what is mentioned in parenthesis in the original.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks KVC/VK
I was about to ask for a picture of Dr Nanjunda Rao.
I agree 'eclectic' is equally appropriate here since the doctor is a versatile polymath!

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Check this for Bharati's escape to Pondicherry, with the help of Dr. Rao:
http://madrasramblings.blogspot.in/2009 ... apore.html

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

kvchellappa wrote:... ... Besides, a red house situated opposite Kapaliswarar tank in Mylapore was the doctor’s house.
The first time I visited the house was in 1963 when I was staying in a lodge at East Mada Street. Fifteen years after that I was lucky to live in a similar house at Nungambakkam for a few years. May be, that was one of the prestigeous house designs a hundred years back.
Last edited by Pratyaksham Bala on 17 Aug 2012, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

The picture of the house
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/04/29/stor ... 780100.htm
Thanks PB
What a colourful person Dr Nanjunda Rao was!
His life reads like a thriller story!

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

PB,
What a find! Thanks!
Every line in this piece speaks of the vibrant life which went on within the walls of this dwelling and of this extraordinary gentleman and his lady who lived there and breathed life into so many needy individuals. They also made it a place of welcome to the most illustrious men of the land.

With a name like Nanjunda, I wondered why Padmanabhan refers to him as from Maharashtra. The writer of this essay gives us his full name: Mysore Chavan Nanjunda Rao. So, it was a family which came from Maharashtra to Mysore and settled there. He in his turn, became a tamizhnADu person in making Chennai his home.

CML,
You and I, and perhaps a few others among us are familiar with this kind of coming together of men and women from all parts of the country as one family. They were all bhAratha mAthA's children.
Sometimes, when you get inflamed (!) looking at happenings of divisive forces, I wonder if you need to be more restrained. We experienced such great happenings as children, from the fringe. No wonder, the destructive 'Divide and rule' principle (ironically of the Raj days!)of the post-independence era provokes you !

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Yes it is nostalgia!
I do dread the cancer Americanization rapidly spreading in TN :(

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

CML,
Yes and not quite--by which I mean: there are many good things to be picked up, American, Canadian, European and so on. You are worried about the superficial things any nation can offer which are being picked up in internet speed in your native land, are you not?

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Yes indeed!
Especially when our 'native' values are lost :(

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

First Publication

Ever since he arrived in Chennai in 1904, Bharathi’s patriotic fervour blazed forth like a great fire. At the time of Bengal partition, Bharathi published in the magazine ‘Chakravarthini’ in Dec. 1905 the first translation of VanDe MAtharam beginning as ‘Iniya neer perukkinai, inkani vaLatthinai’.

Two months since then, in Feb. 1906, he announced his desire to publish a book ‘compiling as a garland the beads of various poems composed by a variety of poets at different times in Thamizh and English, describing the glory of BhArathAmbika that is our Motherland’. He also published an appeal in SvadEsa Mithran to compose and contribute new patriotic songs other than just the poems depicting the country in old works.

No one sent such patriotic songs as expected by Bharathi. Therefore, he plunged himself in the task of filling the breach. Many intensely patriotic songs composed by him appeared in ‘Mithran’, ‘India’ and other papers. Yet, the poet was not contented. He was eager to publish his poems in a book form, but there was no clue to the money required. What to do? It seems that he shared his longing with his friend, Sri G.A.Natesan. He told Bharathi, “Only Sri V.Krishnaswamy Iyer can fulfil your desire. If you like, I will take you to him today itself.” As Krishnaswamy Iyer was a confirmed moderate and was the target of his diatribe in every issue of ‘India’, should Bharathi go to such a political opponent for assistance? Even if he did, would it fruitful? Bharathi therefore said, “I hear that he talks of me angrily always. I do not like to approach him.”

Sri Natesan did not give up. He told Bharathi, “You do not know his nature. If he gets a taste of your poetry, he would not refrain from extending necessary help.” He insisted repeatedly and took Bharathi to Krishnaswamy Iyer’s house the same evening.

In the open space in front of his bungalow, Krishnaswamy Iyer was chatting with his friends. It was rather dark. Seeing Natesan accompanied by a stranger, Krishnaswamy Iyer enquired who he was. Iyer and Bharathi had not met earlier. Natesan replied with a smile, “He is a Thamizh poet. He has composed a few poems. I have brought him in the hope that you would certainly listen to them.” Taking a cue from Iyer, Natesan bid Bharathi to sing. Bharathi started to sing in a sonorous voice ‘Vande Matharam’ in NAdanAmakriyA raga in Aananda KaLippu metre. When he came to the line ‘Aayiram undingu jAthi - There are a thousand castes here,’ Krishnaswamy Iyer, who was reclining in the chair, could not help sit up.

Next, Bharathi sang the national poem beginning ‘Enthaiyum thAyum – my father and mother’ in KAmbhodi raga and finally finished with the song ‘EngaL NADu – our country’ beginning ‘Mannum imaya malai - the great Himalaya mountain’ in BhoopAla raga. Krishnaswami Iyer could not contain his delight. He said, “Why are you letting such beautiful songs to season? Is it not to be made to spread country-wide among the schools and teachers who train girls in music? Why are you keeping mum?”

Friend Natesan put forth the poet’s plight tactically. He said, “If you could help…”
”Where is the hitch? Here is one hundred rupees for you. I will also bear the cost of printing and distributing these three poems free. What is your name?”
It was a dilemma. Bharathi looked at Natesan. Natesan sported a smile and said, “He is Bharathi. He is the author of articles in the newspaper ‘India’, which you read often.”
Contrary to expectation, Iyer responded, “Are you Subramania Bharathiyar? What a noble patriotism is manifest in you! Unaware of it, I considered you one of the fanatical hard-liners, didn’t I?”

Krishnaswami Iyer got ten thousand copies of the three poems sung by Bharathi printed in beautiful paper and distributed to schools and public institutions free throughout the country.

(Sri K.Chandrasekharan, son of V.Krishnaswami Iyer, has published these details in his father’s biography).

It was the first occasion when Bharathi’s songs came out as an exclusive publication. In 1904, Bharathi’s song went to press for the first time and in 1907, his songs came out as a separate pamphlet.

The last stanza of Bharathi’s poem ‘VandE MAtharam enbOm’ was left out in the later editions of the publication ‘SvadEsa Geethangal’ published by Krishnaswami Iyer. The stanza left out was:

‘Devi Nam BhAratha Bhoomi – engaL
TheemaigaL yAvaiyum theerttharuL seyvAL
AaviyuDan poruL moonDrum – antha
Annai potrALinu-kkarpithamAkki
(VanDe)

Instead, the stanza ‘Pulladimai thozhil pEni’ , which was not in the 1907 edition, appears in present editions.

Thamizh Thatha (grand old man of Thamizh), Dr. U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, has mentioned in his ‘Ninaivu Manjari (reminiscences)’ that Bharathi composed the poem ‘Senthamizh NAdu’ after listening to V.Krishnaswamy Iyer’s speech in the Thamizh Sangam of Presidency College. What Bharathi sang after listening to the Presidency College address must be the song ‘BhAratha DEsamenDru peyar solluvAr – will name it BhAratha DEsam’. The song ‘Senthamizh NaDu’ was composed when Bharathi was in Pondicherry for a competition and just won the second prize only!

Bharathi had boundless compassion for Thamizh poets. The song which Bharathi sang in the felicitation meeting for Swaminatha Iyer when he got MahAmahOpAdhyAya title is unforgettable. As someone said (erroneously) that it was flawed in diction and literary taste, Bharathi left the meeting midway. At the end of the meeting, Swaminatha Iyer appreciated the song much and desired to hear it again. Bharathi was not there.

Though there was mutual respect between Bharathi and Swaminatha Iyer, when Swaminatha Iyer was approached for a foreword for Chellamma Bharathis publication of ‘svaDEsa geethangal’, he refused for the reason that he was a teacher in a Govt. college!

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

How inspiring!
All in beautiful CM ragas...
When such inspiring verses are available (which are needed now for 'prabuddha bhArata' ) why are our performers just stick to 'ooshippOna' Trinity (in a language people do not understand!).
VaRutta kaDalayai vaRuttheDukkiRArkaL !

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

CML,
We certainly need to hear more songs of Bharathi and others in tamizh on stage. I think we also do see that happening now in degrees.
It's not just in Thamzhisai manRam alone that we are offered 'all tamizh songs' concerts now. Margazhi mahA utsavam and now the new MArgazhi isai vizhA offer us a lot of thamizh songs. This season, HMB's compositions were sung by Sanjay Subrahmanyan so well. What variety! What ghanam in some of the songs! The same with Mazhavai chidambara bharathi whose songs I was not very familiar with.Thanks to youtube and rasikAs like VKailasam, they are there for all to hear.

No need for you to be concerned with vaRutha pazhaiya kaDalai or worse, in the name of invention, puLitha pazhaiya dOsai mAvu ;)

You are jesting, of course.
inda niRam siRidenRum idu ETRadenRum sollalAmO? sollavum mATTIr ;)

I'm not raising the question if I'm a vAggEyakAra or not at this juncture ;)

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

kvchellappa,
I thank you for helping out.Your translated chapters are very good reads, indeed.
Thanks in advance to shridharang who's continuing the work.

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

This page has the image of V. Krishnaswami Iyer, referred in post #446 in KVC's beautiful translation. The other images are those of V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and the India Office building at 34, Broadway.
Image

maduraimini
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by maduraimini »

kvchellappa,
After waiting for a while, it is good to see this translation by you. Dr.Nanjunda Rao must have been a special kind of person - not only helping the Swadeshi (Freedom) movement, but also helping the common people. Have heard his name, but never saw a picture of him. Thanks.
Sridhar-rang, Thanks for the pictures of Sri. VOC and Krishnaswamy Iyer and the poet's house.

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

The First Book

“swadESa gItangaL”, which first came out in 1907 with just three poems (vandE mAtaram enbOm, endaiyum tAyum, mannum imaya malai) as a four-page pamphlet, was republished a year later as a proper, bigger book. The 1908 edition of swadESa gItangaL is thus the first book of Bharati’s poems. The 14 songs included in this book were:
1. vandE mAtaram enbOm
2. vandE mAtaram (jaya jaya bhArata)
3. endaiyum tAyum
4. mannum imaya malai
5. vAzhiya Sentamizh
6. vinnagattE iravitanai (eulogy to Lajpat Rai)
7. pApEndiriyanj ceRutta (“bhUpendirar vijayam” – visit of bhUpendra *1)
8. nenjil uramum inRi
9. nADizhandu makkaLaiyum (Lajpat Rai’s lament)
10. toNDu Seyyum aDimai
11. vIra sutantiram vENDi ninRAr
12. munnALil rAmapirAn (Dadabhai Naoroji)
13. Oy tilakarE! namma jAtikkaDukkumO?
14. pEraruT kaDavuL tiruvaDiyANai (Mazzini’s vow *2)

Except the first five, the others were songs on specific political events. All of these were in support of the approach of the radicals such as Tilak and Lajpat Rai and were aimed at lessening the appeal of the course adopted by the moderates. Songs 10, 11 and 13 are set to the same tune as his favourite Nandan Charittirak KIrttanai.*3

Swadesa Gitangal had both a dedication and a foreword. With deep guru-bhakti, Bharati dedicated his book to Nivedita Devi thus: “I dedicate this minor work at the lotus feet of my Guru, who showered her blessing by initiating me into patriotism and made me aware of the immense greatness of mother India, as Sri Krishna revealed the true nature of the self to Arjuna through the vision of His universal form – Author”

In his foreword Bharati says “I take the liberty to adorn the peerless, youthful feet of mother India with these flowers. I am well aware the flowers I dedicate to her are fragrance-less. I know that my offering of these murukkampU*4 flowers at her sacred feet, which deserve nothing less than the pArijAtam from heavens above, will diminish her beauty. Still I have dared to act so because of my immense love for her. Didn’t Shiva accept the stones thrown at him by SAkya*5 as flowers? Likewise, may Bharat Mata accept my flowers devoid of excellence.

C . Subramania Bharati, Mylapore, 10th January, 1908”

Tamils welcomed and appreciated these poems, which Bharati described with humility as flowers devoid of excellence. The support received by this book encouraged Bharati to publish one more compilation. In 1909, a year after his first book and after he had gone to Puduvai (Pondicherry), he brought out a second edition of swadEsa gItangaL entitled ‘Janma Bhoomi’. Once again, he dedicated his book to Nivedita Devi: “I dedicate this book to Nivedita Devi, the spiritual daughter of Vivekananda, Guru par excellence who within a short period of time made me aware of the true spirit of service of a mother and the greatness of asceticism – C. Subramania Bharati”

In his foreword, the Mahakavi says “Having come under the spell of a new religion called patriotism, feeling love towards that flame of devotion to one’s motherland, I strung a garland of poems to adorn the mother’s feet. Belying my expectations, several true devotees of the country shared their appreciation describing them as very good flowers. The mother also recognized it as such. Emboldened by these, I have brought a few fresh flowers for the mother’s feet. I am confident these will add to the mother’s joy.”

Notes:

1 Bhupendranath Datta, younger brother of Swami Vivekananda, one of the founders of the ‘extremist’ Jugantar movement
2 Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian Revolutionary, who was an inspirational figure for many among the Indian freedom movement, especially the radical faction
3 The Nandanar Charitram kritis of Gopala Krishna Bharati, which had a great influence on our bhArati
4 palAsa flowers / flame of the forest
5 chAkkiya nAyanAr, one of the 63 Saivite Nayanmar Saints, was originally a Buddhist monk who later realized Shiva as the ultimate truth; he offered a strange form of worship by throwing small pebbles at the Shiva Lingam, which were accepted as flowers

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks sridhar_rang
for the excellent follow-up. Nice to see the picture of Krishnaswamy Iyer and the Bharathy house.
Some of the listed songs were in the movie "KappalOTTiya Thamizhan" (Sivaji's spell-binding performance) with music by TMS and Sirgazhi. Those songs still ring in my ears.
I am also one of those who was propelled into the Freedom fight (though too late :( )through his inspirational songs song by DKP/MKT/MS/...
That is the reason for my 'rant' about the lack of such songs which are immortal, not sung any more by the CM performers. By the by I have nothing against the Bhakthi (sringara :D ) songs of the present "vaggeyakaras" (?) but I bewail the lack of patrriotic songs which are badly needed :(

Thank you so much for taking us to those golden days of the Freedom Struggle while the poisonous cancer ('thIrAviDam") is sapping our national energy ....

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

That the present generation at least gets to listen to the glorious patriotic songs of Bharathi and other patriots is consolation enough--given a world far from the idealistic setting we savored in our younger days. In today's mainly materialistic world where political shenanigans are part of the scene, thanks to Bharathi, there are still those inspiring lines we get to hear even now. Leave our generation alone. A prime example is Ravi (rshankar), a youngster compared to us--see how he gets bowled over while he's discussing and translating Bharathi's songs!
And now, thanks to sridharang and kvchellappa who are keeping the inspiration of Bharathi alive with their contributions...
Last edited by arasi on 24 Aug 2012, 01:06, edited 1 time in total.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Hats off to Shankar for his inspiration and translation service to our members!
We all are indeed grateful to KVC and sridhar for continuing the History alive on your footsteps!
Let us continue...

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Leader of the New Party

At the Surat Congress, newspaper editors of the radical faction met and resolved to work in a systematic way for spreading their goals countrywide. It was agreed that when condemning any authoritarian act of the Government, all the journals will focus on the same topic so as to cause large scale rebellions across the country. Bharati took responsibility to do this in Chennai. Accordingly, upon his return from Surat, Bharati did many things in support of Tilak’s radical movement. He was not much in possession of physical strength, but had great mental strength. There was no meeting on the beach that he did not address. Tens of thousands of people stood waiting to listen to his fierce oratory and singing.

His pen also had to toil night and day.

Bipin Chandra Pal delivered many a great speech at the spot where the Radio is these days on Triplicane beach. Bharati’s meetings also took place at the same spot. There was a sea of humanity at hand at the time of Pal’s address; even many moderates came to listen to him, doing their best to remain inconspicuous. Rumour has it that the Madras government wanted to prosecute Pal for sedition but V. Bhashyam Aiyangar, who had earlier been Advocate-General, advised against it.

Meanwhile in Punjab, Lajpat Rai and (Sardar) Ajit Singh, two other leaders of the ‘New Party’, had been exiled. On May 9, 1907, they were freed and made their return to the country. The radicals grew in their zeal.

At the same time, in the south, V.O. Chidamabaram Pillai started a shipping company to give a boost to indigenous trade and industry. On the India-Ceylon sea route, all goods were normally transported by ships of a British company, except for a few sail boats carrying a limited quantity of merchandise. Realising that an Indian shipping company could make good profits, Pillai started ‘Swadeshi Steam Navigation’ as a joint stock company and purchased two steamers. Bharatiyar helped raise money towards its capital. The family of Mandayam Srinivasachariyar, also known as ‘Puducheriyar’, pitched in with 70,000 rupees. It was Bharati who introduced Chidamabaram Pillai to Puducheriyar.

As decided by radical leaders at the Surat Congress, Bharati formed an association of youth in the name of 'Chennai Jana Sangham'. Bharati and his friends started a shop called 'Bharata Bhandar' to sell swadeshi goods.

The radical faction decided to observe a day in 1908 as Self-Rule day. Plans were made to celebrate the day with pomp in Madras. Chennai Jana Sangham decided to organize processions from many parts of Madras that would converge on Triplicane’s Bells Road and proceed to the beach via Pycrofts Road for a rally. Bharati, Ethiraj Surendranath Arya and a few more volunteers started organizing small meetings for two- three days ahead of the event, appealing to students and the public to join the processions.

On the appointed day, they planned to proceed to the beach from their meeting point at Bells Road-Pycrofts junction to the accompaniment of band music. Even though the police commissioner’s permission had been sought for taking out a musical procession along public streets, the licence was not granted. The music troupe hesitated to join them. Reassuring them with the words ‘I am with you, my brothers’, a garlanded Bharati led the procession to the beach to the thunderous accompaniment of drums and cymbals, as if he were a general commanding an army. A massive rally took place on the Marina sands. The police made no attempt to stop them.
Last edited by sridhar_ranga on 24 Aug 2012, 23:49, edited 1 time in total.

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Cover and front page of the booklet published by Bharati in 1908 to spread the message of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, after his return from the Surat congress
Image

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

This is sheer history!
Shows how Bharathy turned a 'radical' and was considered a danger to the Raj!
There were also those who vehemently supported the Raj who exploited the Caste/Religious feelings in the society. Though Bharathy valiantly fought against them it took the arrival of Gandhiji on the scene to fire up the Nation. Unfortunately it ended up in partition which still remains the biggest problem of the sub-continent.

rshankar
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by rshankar »

Sridhar, thank you! This is wonderful - to understand what went into the shaping of the most influential poet (at least for me) of the 20th century is priceless. IMO, all of these situations that he experienced are what ultimately shaped the poetry that emerged from his pen to have the burnished beauty and permanence of gold that had been tempered in a fiery furnace.

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

viDudalai vELviyAmOr thIyilE
vArtha uyar ponnin guNamuNDu
em kaviyin sol ovvonRilumE!

venkatakailasam
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

This is not connected with Barathi...

The voice of Bal Gangadhar Tilak...The voice of Bal Gangadhar Tilak recorded 97 years ago. The clip was recorded when he addressed the audience during the Kesari Ganesh festival.
Addressing the gathering, Lokmanya Tilak had said, "The programme would go on as per schedule and Bhaskarbuwa will sing. I will not tolerate any nuisance by the audience. If you want, you can leave the venue. The programme will go on as per schedule. This is my wish."
He had further said, "I am not an expert on classical music, but I do know that Bhaskarbuwa is a great artiste. That is why I have invited him to perform here. I am proud of him. I thank him on behalf of everyone. With the blessings of Lord Ganesha I feel that he should perform again. I stop here and take your leave."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrCOupx2s9U

venkatakailasam
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

A song on Tilak...by Barathi....

http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/2012/08/blog-post_25.html


There are many interesting episodes on Barathi at this link...

http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in
Last edited by venkatakailasam on 27 Aug 2012, 08:15, edited 1 time in total.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks for that informative links...

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

If any one is interested, I will translate Bharathi's prose writings in the blogspot.

smala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by smala »

KVChellappa, please do. You have at least one person here, interested.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Dear kvc
I havee created a new thread wherein you may post the translations from the blog and discuss.
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19867
This thread need not lose its continuity
Thank you..

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Meeting on the beach

Henry W. Nevinson, a famous British journalist, visited India in 1908 to report on the political rumblings taking place in the country. He met Tilak, Lajpat Rai and Gokhale in the north, and also Bharati down south. In his famous book ‘The New Spirit in India’, which he wrote upon his return to Britain, he dedicated a whole chapter entitled ‘On the beach’ to describe a meeting in Triplicane’s Tilak Ghat, presided over by Bharati and others. Nevinson even gave the meaning of three songs sung in the meeting by Bharati, ‘Tamil poet of Madras’. The essence of his description follows:

“It is evening time. The monsoon Sun is setting, spreading a dazzling array of colours in the sky. Just an odd coach or two is seen moving on the Marina. Young Anglo Indian men and women are returning home, tired after playing Polo or some other game. Traffic is ebbing. But on the sands, a crowd of four to five thousand surrounds a lamp-lit platform. They are mostly youth, attending a public meeting. They are assembled there to celebrate the freedom of Lala Lajpat Rai and Sardar Ajit Singh of recent fame in far away Punjab.

“The meeting started. A boy sings Bharati’s Tamil translation of the song vandE mAtaram in high pitch. After the song ends, thousands of voices thunder: ‘vande mataram’, ‘worship the mother’. The song is sweet and tender; not one that evokes rage and sounds revolutionary like ‘La Marseillaise’. But the mass slogan ‘vande mataram’ reverberated with revolutionary fervor.”

Now Bharati gets up to sing. Let us read about it in Nevinson’s words:

“After that nationalistic song, the Tamil poet of Madras started singing a grief-filled song he had composed at the time of Lala Lajpat Rai’s banishment. It evoked the common sentiment of all the exiled patriots: Sweet memories of one’s home, deep devotion to the country where one spent one’s younger days, the sorrow of living amidst aliens who speak an unfamiliar tongue, an all pervading loneliness – all of these were described in a simple and calm manner in that song. Then the poet changed his mood and entered the realm of sarcasm. He described a supposed conversation between people of India and John Morley, Secretary of State for India, on the topic of Home Rule.”

The first song was ‘LajapatirAyin pralApam’ (Lajpat Rai’s lament) starting with the line ‘nADizhandu makkaLaiyum nallALaiyum pirindu’ (Having lost the motherland, separated from children and wife). Subsequently he sang ‘toNDu Seyyum aDimai’ (slave who is meant to serve – a British Officer’s sermon to a freedom-seeking Indian), followed by the song that conveys the Indian’s reply to the Englishman, ‘sutantirap perumai’ (the grandeur of freedom).

A few others spoke after Bharati finished singing. Some explained at length, with logic worthy of admiration even by the British, the necessity of freedom and the Extremist viewpoint. In the end a holy man, tall and with a flowing beard, wearing ochre clothes, holding a staff in one hand, of Brahmin birth but now a believer in equality of all men, spoke about his recent meeting with Lajpat Rai and described Rai as an epitome of sacrifice, fearless in the service of his people. The crowd dispersed with cries of vande mataram. In spite of the charged atmosphere, there was no disorderliness, shouting or uproar in the meeting; it was such a peaceful event. Not even the meetings at London’s Trafalgar Square are so well organized. In spite of a public announcement that a meeting was being organized, there was not a single policeman at the spot. Not a single soldier either. There was simply no need for them. ‘As was to be expected, I was the lone European there’, exclaims Nevinson.

smala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by smala »

Thanks to kvchellapa and sridhar-rang, the translations are beautiful!

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Picturesque..
I can visualize Bharathy singing at the beach...

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Pic 1: The Mandayam Family: S. Partha Sarathy, Krishnamachariyar the father, S. Tirumalachariyar, Srinivasachariyar
Pic 2: Surendranath Arya, with his Swedish wife
Pic 3: Madame Cama, with the 'vande mataram' inscribed flag

Image

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

The letter written by Bharati to his 'Guruji' Lokmanya Tilak on May 29, 1908

Image

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Letter to Lokmanya Tilak

The day in March 1908 when Bharatiyar celebrated ‘Home Rule Day’ in Madras with nary a challenge in a grand manner, was also the day that caused much turmoil in the towns of Tuticorin and Tirunelveli. V.O. Chidamabaram Pillai along with his friend Subramanya Sivam had organized a celebration of the day in Tirunelveli district. But, instigated by a few Europeans who were fearful of the growing success of VOC’s swadeshi shipping venture, the sub-collector of Tuticorin Robert William d’Escourt Ashe and the district collector and rabid colonialist Winch arrested the leaders, leading to large scale disturbances. Government buildings were set on fire; there was firing by the police; a few innocent lives were lost; the enraged people made sure that there was no rule of colonial law for three whole days.

Collector Winch tried his best to intimidate the arrested leaders Pillai and Sivam, but to no avail. Bharati’s song on this incident is very famous. Bharati had to go to Tuticorin as a witness in the case. He met the two leaders in prison.

The ‘special correspondent news’, published by Bharati in his India news magazine, informed that VOC remained cheerful in prison, not unlike the way Kamban described Rama’s face as that of a fresh red lotus bloom as seen on a painting (‘chittirattin alarnda SentAmarai ottirukkum mugam’ ** a real lotus bloom closes itself at night, whereas a lotus on a painting is always fully bloomed) .

Around the time VOC and Sivam were arrested in the South, repression was unleashed elsewhere in the country too. Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh were arrested in the Panjab.

Under the circumstances, Bharati wrote a letter to his Guru, Lokmanya Tilak, on May 29, 1908. It is reproduced on the facing page. The contents of the letter follow:

“The Bala Bharata Office, Triplicane, Madras 29th May 1908
To: Sriman B.G. Tilak, Poona

Dear Guruji,

I have received a letter from Krishna Varma, asking us to start a Hindi class in Madras through the auspices of the Chennai Jana Sangham. We have already started a small class. I hope it will be fairly well attended in due course of time. I shall inform of its progress later on.

We have decided to hold a national provincial conference in Madras on the lines marked out in the Calcutta Congress. What about the next Congress? What has become of the national committee? Our secretary Mr. Chidambaram is gone now, you know where! Please ask Mr. Kelkar to correspond with our group by mail on this matter.

Yours affectionately, C. Subramania Bharati”


It was in the Calcutta Congress of 1906 that the grand old man Dadabhai proclaimed “freedom is my birth right”. Due to the intolerant attitude of the Congress moderates, the next Surat Congress in 1907 ended in uproar. The radicals started The New Party under Tilak’s leadership.

The statement with a hidden meaning “you know the present whereabouts of our secretary Chidamabaram” and making a friendly request to Tilak’s secretary Kelkar to write about this are significant aspects of this letter.

Bharati conveys that they (members of the radical group) were not sitting idle in Madras, through the messages about having started a Hindi class and convening the provincial conference.

smala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by smala »

I am steeped into a time I can only imagine, but imagine vividly, I can! thanks to the flowing accounts, pics and the translation. Very very engrossing stuff, heart-wrenching at times.

maduraimini
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by maduraimini »

Sridhar-rang:

Thanks for the pictures and info on all the happenings in the South. The translation is smooth sailing and flows along well. Thank you so much for your effort to continue the mammoth effort Arasi took to translate this work. These pictures give us a face to the names we read. I hope this makes the younger generation to stop and think about all these patriots who fought for the freedom we are enjoying today.

I am surprised to see that there were no policemen around at the Beach when the swadeshis had their meeting. The Raj always made sure there were police nearby, even if it was a peaceful meeting.

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

The bird has taken flight

Government repression reared its ugly head in 1908. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was arrested and sentenced to six years’ rigorous imprisonment. They took him to the Mandalay prison in Burma. It is to be noted that Burma was a province of India till 1935.

In the South, the lawyer from Tuticorin, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, was arrested when he went to meet collector Winch. He was sentenced to 40 years in exile. Subramania Siva, a young leader who worked for the radical party was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Even G. Subramania Iyer had been arrested in Madras. It was becoming clear that it won’t take long for Bharati to be arrested.
Perhaps as a first step towards arresting Bharati, or even with the express purpose of arresting him, a warrant was issued in the name of Editor, India.

A policeman arrived in the India journal’s office carrying this warrant. (India was then being published from 34, Broadway. This is the second building to the north of the Danish Mission Church, still in existence. Nowadays it is used as a godown for leather goods)

The office was on the first floor. Bharati was just then coming down the stairs. The policeman thrust the warrant towards him. Bharati went through it. He noticed that the warrant was for ‘Editor, India’. Saying ‘Oh, you are looking for the editor? That’s not me’, he walked away.

Bharati was not lying. Even though he was carrying out the role of India’s editor, officially he was not its editor. As per records, the editor was one Murappakkam Srinivasan. This Srinivasan was a close friend and schoolmate of India’s publisher S.N. Tirumalacharya. The police took Srinivasan away.

That the same fate as Srinivasan awaited Bharati and India’s publishers came as nobody’s surprise. Bharati was secretly alerted by some friends within the police that it was only a matter of time before a warrant was issued for his arrest. Bharati and his friends got into a conference. V. Krishnaswamy Iyer opined that it was better for Bharati to be away from Chennai. It was decided that Bharati should go to Puduchery, which was under French rule. Srinivasachariyar gave a letter of introduction addressed to Chitti Kuppuswami Iyengar, one of his friends in Puduchery.

Bharatiyar did not fear staying on in Madras. But friends insisted that continuing to run India from Puduvai was a better thing to do than getting arrested. Besides, in those pre-Gandhi days, leaders such as Tilak did not believe that it was possible to wage a peaceful struggle against the British by remaining in prison. They had a focussed determination to keep the fight going.

Puduvai was not a place Bharati was familiar with. He knew no one there. Still he agreed to move there.

The next night, Bharati travelled by train to Puduchery, buying a ticket at Saidapet. The police were completely unaware of this.

To the Chennai residents goes the credit of transforming Puduchery into a political sanctuary; till then it had been a place of asylum for debtors. Bharati was the first to enact this – it was only after him that political leaders such as Aurobindo Ghosh sought refuge in Puduchery.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Fascinating History!

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