Remembering MahaKavi Bharathiyar

Today is the birth anniversary of “Bharathiyar” – Subramania Bharati.  

Knowing the “history” that is taught in our schools, many of you may have never heard his name – or have only a faint recollection of him as “someone from south India”.

Bharathi was not only a freedom fighter and a social reformer far ahead of his times, he was also one of the greatest poets of his age..His poetry inspired the masses to fight against colonial rule..  Even more interestingly, he was probably one of the earliest leaders of the freedom struggle who had a clear view on enterprise, liberty and individual freedoms…

As KV Sarma mentions in his post about “The Visionary“,
apart from being a Patriot at core…(he was) a true representation of Indian Right that supported enterprise and freedom during the time when “Gandhian Socialism and respect to Gandhi” was considered Nationalism

Pl also read (and share) this 2-part series on Mahakavi Bharati by Aroon Raman, “We say Vande Mataram: Bharati” from which the concluding lines:

As we rush through the 21st century, impatient in many ways with our past, we would do well to reflect in passing on this many-faceted son of India who gave so completely of himself to the liberty of his motherland.

Some of you may know that he was a contemporary of VVS Iyer and Sri Aurobindo and there is a museum in Pondicherry where he moved in 1908 to escape arrest. Pl take a moment to remember this extraordinary man today..and pl share this with your friends and especially the younger ones in your family.. जय हिंद, जय भारत! – शांतनु

B Shantanu

Political Activist, Blogger, Advisor to start-ups, Seed investor. One time VC and ex-Diplomat. Failed mushroom farmer; ex Radio Jockey. Currently involved in Reclaiming India - One Step at a Time.

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5 Responses

  1. kumar says:

    hi
    Mahakavi Bharathiar, it is not surprising when u said “many of you may have never heard his name – or have only a faint recollection of him as “someone from south India”.
    it looks like it is designed that we are not being made aware of our own freedom fighter who scarified their live so that we live in a better world.
    1 through RTI when one indian from Bengal asked why central Govt does not official celebrate Subhas Bose anniversary. the reply received from center that they don’t have any document saying he fought for the freedom of India -it was Published in “The Hindu” some time back.
    2. when the Freedom train launched to travel all over India, there was no mention of any South Indian Freedom fighter was included in the exhibition. Even after point out by veterans Central Govt. refused to include them.
    as far as Tamil Nadu every child knows the songs written by Mahakavi Bharathiar. every school celebrates his birthday. there are completion conducted special on the songs he wrote. he is also known as children poet. In Singapore also same way he is being celebrated by the local Indian community. who in turn closely associated with INA of Subhas Chandra Bose.
    Our own Indians don’t know about them.
    I have to thank for remembering such a great personality and bringing the attention to the fellow Indians.

  2. yupp!!! says:

    I’ve never heard of him!!! The Nehru-Gandhi family has made sure we only remember them. I despise INC even more for not mdking us aware about these freedom fighters. Thanks for shairing. P.S. SHANTANU, you should visit blog of this ‘Indian Realist’.

  3. v.c.krishnan says:

    It is not so surprising that we forget our Freedom Fighters. We are Indians to the core. USE THEM; THROW THEM. We do not want to remember the past misdeeds of our rulers of every kind. We do not want to recall the misdeeds of the “Converters” as it falls within the purview of “Secularism”.
    Afterall he was hindu and that too a BRAHMIN to boot.
    vck

  4. GAYATRI . R says:

    YES, I KNOW ABOUT SUBRAMANIAM BHARATI. WE HAD A LESSON DEDICATED TO HIM IN HINDI BAL BAHARTI, IN THE 7th GRADE, S.S.C BOARD IN THE YEAR 1998. IN THE LESSON HE WAS DESCRIBED AS A VERY NAUGHTY BUT EXTREMELY WITTY CHILD WHO GREW UP TO BECOME A PATRIOTIC POET AND A REFORMIST.
    IN INDIA PEOPLE ARE VERY BUSY CRITICIZING EACH OTHER ON THE BASIS OF CASTE, SUB CASTE ,STATE etc,THE LIST IS UNENDING ,BUT THERE ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOOKED BEYOND THE SHACKLES OF THESE SOCIAL BARRIERS AND HAVE CHANGED THE VIEW OF OUR SOCIETY AND ENLIGHTENED US TOWARDS HUMANITY AND OUR RIGHTS.
    I SALUTE SUCH PEOPLE AND TRY TO FOLLOW THEIR PHILOSOPHY.

  5. Shantanu says:

    Even fewer knows how Subramania Bharati was inspired and influenced by Sister Nivedita, who had a substantial influence on all freedom fighters at that time. Bharati considered her as his guru.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subramania_Bharati
    http://www.mahakavibharathiyar.info/vijayabharathi_2.htm