Forbidden history: V.O. Chidambaram Pillai
The world has seen many entrepreneurs who run businesses to be successful and wealthy, but Tamil Nadu produced a man who turned an entrepreneur to fight the might of the British and to prove them that India can stand up on its own legs. In this venture of his, he lost all his wealth and led a life of sacrifice so that we can breath freedom. Chapter 1: Early years V.O. Chidambaram Pillai (VOC) was born on September 5, 1872 in Ottapidaram (the same place where Veerapandiya Kattabomman's memorial fort is). He was the eldest son of Olaganathan Pillai, an eminent lawyer and Parvathi ammal. He did his schooling in Ottapidaram, Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) and Thirunelveli, learnt English from a Taluk officer, and read Ramayana and Mahabharatha with his grandparents. After finishing his schooling, he was employed as a clerk in the Thoothukudi Taluk office briefly before he went to Thiruchi to study law. He graduated in 1894 and a year later, returned to Ottapidaram to practice law.