Tryst with destiny

Interviews with a few South Indian freedom fighters.

The freedom struggle in South India involved people from various denominations of society, but their deeds and sacrifices are hardly talked about, as documented evidence is scant.

It's only on talking to these people that one realises that their actions were as daring, chivalrous and brave as the ones in the history books.

Three similar freedom fighters hailing from small hamlets in the state of Tamil Nadu speak about their contributions to the freedom movement.

Excerpts from interviews with three living legends...

S. Thangavel Pillai

Keelavaaladi (Keela-vaa-la-di) is a sleepy village in Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu. It's home to S. Thangavel Pillai, an 84-year-old freedom fighter. He lives in a small house with his wife and 60 years after India gained its independence, continues to follow the Gandhian way.

Tell us about yourself and your family.
I was born in Mannargudi in Thanjavur district in 1924. I'm the seventh of eight children. I studied up to first form (equivalent to 6th standard today) at Findlay High School.

I worked for the Khaadi Sangam from 1946 to 1984 as an accountant and later as quality inspector. I married in 1959 and have five children. I bought a house here to stay after my retirement.

What inspired you to join the freedom movement?
As a teenager, I maintained accounts for a jeweller in Mannargudi. During the evenings, I would go to listen to the speeches of leaders such as T.K. Srinivasan and Kodumudi Rajagopal.

Did you participate in any movement?
I participated in the Quit India Movement. When news arrived of the arrest of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and others during the Quit India Movement, the tension was felt in Mannargudi as well. On August 15, 1942, we destroyed the collector's records, the railway signal and people ripped off railway tracks, but we harmed no one. It was truly a mass movement as ordinary people took part and there was no leader. Fifty three of us were arrested. I was sentenced to two years imprisonment with 15 lashings daily.

What was jail like?
I was imprisoned at Alipuram jail in Andhra Pradesh. We slept on sacks and were given kanchi (rice pudding) with worms in it. Avoo Durai (a Britisher) said if I wrote a letter of apology to the British government, I would be spared the lashings. When I refused, he asked the jailor to give me all the lashings for two years in a single day.
While being lashed, I fainted and was hospitalised. Once well, I served the rest of my sentence.

We organised a protest in jail for the bad food and were beaten again.

Have you met any leaders?
I've seen T.K. Srinivasan, Rajaji and Kamarajar. The jails had gradations: Leaders such as T. Prakasam, R. Venkataraman and Kamarajar were imprisoned in B-class while I was in C-class. I saw Gandhi when he visited Trichy in February, 1946. It was then that I decided to join the Khaadi Sangam.

What are your views about India today?
We live freely today. India has progressed a lot. But Indian leaders and administrators of my time lived for the country. It's sad that they don't today. But there is hope.

Pillai apologised for not being able to offer me coffee. I thanked him for his efforts to help us live free. Smiling, he said it was a group effort and gave me the address of a fellow freedom fighter in Srirangam where I headed next.

P.M. Gopalaswamy

I got P.M. Gopalaswamy's address in Srirangam village from Pillai. Seated outside his home, clutching his walker and enjoying the evening breeze, 87-year-old Gopalaswamy is the picture of contentment. Few know that that the veteran freedom fighter has interacted with Gandhi.

Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Peruvallanallur village in Lalgudi in 1920. I was an only child and studied up to third form (8th standard) at Lalgudi High School. I married in December 1941 and have three children (two sons and a daughter) and grandchildren. I live with my wife in Srirangam.

What inspired you to join the freedom movement?
As a young boy, I used to listen to and was inspired by the speeches of Satyamoorthy, Rajaji and Nondi (lame) Ramamurthy.

Tell us about your involvement in the freedom struggle.
In 1936 I joined the Ahimsa Thondar Padai and was elected as the group's leader. We spread awareness about the freedom movement among youngsters and helped organise meetings. In 1939, I hid some leaders in my house and the next year, was one of the few asked to do individual satyagraha. I was arrested and jailed — first in Vellore and then transferred to Bellari prison in Andhra Pradesh. I was released in 1941 after serving my six-month jail term. In 1942 I didn't participate in the Quit India Movement as I was a follower of Rajaji who disagreed with Gandhi about not supporting the British during the Second World War. So those who refused were suspended from the Congress for six years.

Have you met any leaders during the freedom struggle?
I saw most of them during the Ramkar Congress Conference in 1940. While travelling to the conference, I got off the train to meet Gandhi personally. He was living at Sevagram then, near Wardha. It was afternoon and we were informed that he was resting. We waited for more than three hours. He then came out and smiled and asked where I was from. I said, "Trichirapalli". He replied, "Trichirapalli. Are people still dirtying the banks of the Cauvery?" I replied "Yes." Then he picked up a slate and wrote Kadavul (Tamil for God) in Tamil and asked, "Is the spelling correct?" When I nodded, Gandhiji explained, "I learned some Tamil when I was in South Africa." Our talk was interrupted by visiting leaders and then by a Sindhi merchant. The merchant wanted Gandhi to give him a certificate. Gandhi refused, joking, "You do good work. Why do you want me to give you a certificate?" Leaders continued to pour in to talk to Gandhi, but I had to catch the next train, so I paid my respects and left.

How different is India today from pre-independence India?
Even if the shackles are made of gold, you are still a slave. That was how we felt then. Today, despite its faults, India is a free country.

However, Indians during those days generally valued discipline, fairness and truth. It is not so today. It started going downhill from the mid-sixties. Though today's India is progressing despite corruption and inequality, we need another freedom movement by today's youth to get rid of social evils.

Thangavel Mahalingam

Thangavel Mahalingam is an 87-year old freedom fighter who still wears clothes made from khaadi. He lives at his son's home in Thanjavur.

Tell us about yourself.
I was born in 1920 in Panchanathakottai village located in Thanjavur District. I was the second of six children. I studied up to third form and got married after India gained its independence. My wife is no more. I have five children — three sons and two daughters.

Have you met any leaders?
I've personally met Nehru and been to his house after independence and saw Gandhi when he came to Trichy.

Who motivated/inspired you to take part in the Quit India movement?
Dr. Gopu and T.K.Srinivasan from Thanjavur came to Panchanathakottai and told us about Vellayane Veliyeru (Quit India Movement). I wanted to take part. We had to inform the local police if we participated in any freedom struggle, so my friend and I wrote to the local police station to inform them. We were promptly arrested. I was imprisoned for two years in Alipuram prison located in Andhra Pradesh.

What was the jail experience like?
They beat us a lot each day. The jailor used to be irritated with me and used to say, "You are too young to be even a cowherd and you think you can get the British out of India?" We were given spoilt kanchi (rice pudding) and would wait until the jailors left to pour it out. At times, we would be really hungry and so would pick the worms out of the gruel and eat it.

Has Indian society changed since independence?
It has. In the past, people would not be jealous or envious of others.

They would be fair in their dealings. Today, most people, especially leaders, are not. Now, people only talk about politics and do not really care about freedom.

Just a thought... freedom fighters such as these ought to be treated with deference and their presence should be a boon. It's surprising that hardly anyone in their villages could show me the direction to their homes. Today's Indians cannot afford to take such heroes for granted.