Unsung Swadeshi Militant Nationalists of Tamilnadu

Abstract

The Swadeshi Movement and the emergence of the extremist leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, B.G.Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Feroz Shah Mehta impinged a great change in the history of freedom struggle. It gave concrete and determined objectives which comprised of economic and political ideology. Swadeshi and its boycott programmes were clarified definite shape to freedom struggle. The British Government did not expect such an agitation and alarmed at the success of the Swadeshi Movement, the government took strong measures to suppress the movement. It passed series of Acts such as Public Meeting Act, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, the Seditious Meeting Act (1907), the Explosive Substance Act (1908), the Newspaper (Incitement and Offence Act 1908) and the Indian Press Act (1910) were passed to suppress extremist activities. The Swadeshi Movement spread throughout India. The word ‘Swadeshi’ implies use of goods made in one’s own country. The boycott of foreign made goods and the promotion of swadeshi enterprise the twin pillars of the Swadeshi movement saw various activities in Madras Presidency. G. Subrahmania Iyer played a key role in spreading the ideas of Swadeshi. His lectures in Madurai aroused powerful nationalist feelings among the students of Madurai Native College in 1906. In November 1897, Hawett, Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department instructed the Chief Secretary of Madras to forward any information “regarding matters of political or administrative importance or events which have excited public interest”. During the anti-partition agitation of Bengal, the Madras Government closely watched the activities of its servants. In 1907, Parameswaran Iyer, a Government Chemical Examiner was asked to explain his ‘inflammatory speech on the subject of Swadeshi’. Thus, the Madras Government made it clear that it did not approve of government servants attending political meetings. Vanchi Iyer, born at Shenkottah in Travancore State in 1880 was the son of Ragupathy Iyer. He was employed as a forest guard at Punalur in the then Travancore state. He was one of the members of the secret society called Bharatha Matha Association, organized by Nilakanda Brahmachari . Other members of the society were Sankara Krishna Iyer of Krishnapuram, Madathukadai Chidambaram Pillai of Tenkasi, Dharmaraj Iyer and Harihara Iyer of Shencottah, Madasami pillai of Ottapidaram and Arumugam Pillai of Tuticorin. The aim of the society formed by Vanchi and Nilakanta Brahmachari was to kill all European officers of the district to intimidate European officials and discourage them from coming to serve in India which would pave the way to obtain Swaraj.