Forbidden history: Vanchinathan, the young freedom fighter
Indian historians have always had selective memory. To them, the four cities of Shahjahanabad(Delhi), Mumbaai(Mumbai), Mahishur(Mysore) and Kalikata(Kolkata) form the boundaries of the country. Many a men have lost their place in Indian history due to this geopolitical blindness. One such man is Vanchinathan.
Personal life:
Vanchinathan was born into a Brahmin family in 1886 in the southernmost corner of the country. Sengottai, the town in which he was born, literally means 'Red fort' in English, but this one is not celebrated as the other one in the northern corner of the country. As a child, it is said, Vanchinathan was polite and unassuming, almost shy. He also seems to have been studious, graduating with a B.A. from Moolam Thirunal Maharaja College in Thiruvananthapuram and a M.A from Baroda university. While he was in college, he married Ponnammal with whom he fathered a daughter. After college, he was offered a clerkship in Travancore forest department which he happily took.
VOC, the inspiration:
It was in Travancore where he was leading a happy family life, Vanchinathan came to know about V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, who was fighting the British for the rights of the oppressed. In 1906, V.O.C launched the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, India's first shipping enterprise which operated two steamsihps between Tuticorin and Colombo thus putting a full-stop to British monopoly in shipping in the region. A year or so later, with the help of Coral mill workers, VOC staged a Strike against the management firm A&F Harvey which was paying very low wages to its labourers. These works of VOC inspired the young man who turned into a serious follower and made the dreams of the freedom fighter his own.
On March 12, 1908, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai was arrested for sedition and locked up in Palayamkottai. This stirred the emotions of freedom fighters in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin. Both the towns saw unprecedented agitations which was quelled with the help of a massive police force. A couple of months later, the court imposed two life sentences of 40 years each on VOC. VOC was sent to Coimbatore central prison where he spent the next two years. In 1911, Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company bankrupted and British took possession of the two steamships.
The Ashe murder:
Between 1906 and 1908, when the two navigation companies were pitted against each other in a fierce battle, Ashe was posted in Tirunelveli/Tuticorin either in the capacity of a collector or as a district magistrate. It is said that Ashe did everything in his power to kill Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company. He also fully backed A&F Harvey throughout the protest. It is also said that Ashe issued a shoot at sight order during the agitations that followed VOC's arrest. These must be the reasons, Ashe was targeted, if he was the one targeted at all (It was the collector of Tirunelveli Mr. Winch - and not Robert Ashe - who ordered the arrest of VOC in 1908. Some claim if Vanchinathan wanted to avenge VOC's arrest, it must have been by killing Mr. Winch who was directly responsible).
The mastermind behind the assassination was Nilakanta Bramhachari who went around the Madras presidency in 1910 recruiting cadres and hatching plots against the British. In this venture, he was accompanied by Shankar Krishna Aiyar, Vanchinathan's brother-in-law, who introduced the men to each other. This was when Vanchinathan was initiated into militant struggle for freedom. Along with a few other men, Nilakanta Bramhachari, Vaanchinathan and Shankar Krishna Aiyar found an organisation called Bharatha Matha Sangam which plots the assassination of influential British men.
The preparation for the murder began in early January 1911 when Vanchinathan took a three month break from his job and visited VVS Aiyar in Pondicherry. VVS Aiyar who was allegedly involved in many other conspiracies against the British trained Vanchinathan in firing a revolver among other things. It is said that Vanchinathan confessed to VVS Aiyar his plans to assassinate Ashe for his role in the arrest of VOC and the agitations that followed (could not be verified). A couple of months later, Vanchinathan's infant daughter died whose funeral he did not attend and Ashe was promoted as the acting collector of Tirunelveli.
The stage was set. The date was decided - June 11, 1911. It was to coincide with the coronation of George V. For some reason, there was no attempt on that day. The second one was planned for June 17, 1911.
On that day, Ashe with his wife Mary left Tirunelveli for Kodaikanal in a train to visit his childen. Vanchinathan and three others from Bharatha Matha sangam boarded the same train at Tirunelveli. At 9.30 A.M. the train reached Maniyachi. As soon as the train came to a halt, Vanchinathan boarded the first class in which Ashe and his wife were travelling. He shot Ashe with his browning, jumped out of the train and ran into the platform lavoratory. There, he shot himself to death. By the time police arrived, both Ashe and Vanchinathan were dead. The police discovered a letter in Vanchinathan's pocket signed "R. Vanchi Aiyar, Sengottai". It read:
"The mlechas of England having captured our country, tread over the sanathana dharma of the Hindus and destroy them. Every Indian is trying to drive out the English and get swarajyam and restore sanathana dharma. Our Raman, Sivaji, Krishnan, Guru Govindan, Arjuna ruled our land protecting all dharmas and in this land they are making arrangements to crown George V, a mlecha, and one who eats the flesh of cows. Three thousand Madrasees have taken a vow to kill George V as soon as he lands in our country. In order to make others know our intention, I who am the least in the company, have done this deed this day. This is what everyone in Hindustan should consider it as his duty."
Conspiracy:
Recently, a reverend, one Dr. Ravikumar Stephen, has proposed a theory on why Ashe was the target of the crime. He claims that Ashe's wife Mary was a social worker who helped a pregnant Dalit woman in Sengottai. Allegedly, she arranged a bullock cart for the woman who was suffering in labour pain and the bullock cart rode through the streets of Agraharam(the abode of Brahmins) which was not very well received by the Brahmins. Vaanchinathan, a Brahmin, was severely angered by this and took out his rage on the husband (However, strangely, he did not kill the wife).
Scholars have rejected this as an attempt to discredit the martyrdom of the young man who laid down his life at the age of 25 for freedom. Also, the reverend has not produced any evidence supporting his claim. Nor has anyone stepped forward to stand by him.
Developments since:
- During Rajiv Gandhi's reign, Maniyachi junction was renamed 'Vanchi' maniyachi junction.
- On June 17, 2011, a grandson of Ashe wrote to the family of Vanchinathan extending their friendship and offering reconciliation.
Today(June 17, 2014) is the 103rd anniversary of Vanchinathan. It is our duty to respect and remember the young freedom fighter who played his part in our freedom.
Personal life:
Vanchinathan was born into a Brahmin family in 1886 in the southernmost corner of the country. Sengottai, the town in which he was born, literally means 'Red fort' in English, but this one is not celebrated as the other one in the northern corner of the country. As a child, it is said, Vanchinathan was polite and unassuming, almost shy. He also seems to have been studious, graduating with a B.A. from Moolam Thirunal Maharaja College in Thiruvananthapuram and a M.A from Baroda university. While he was in college, he married Ponnammal with whom he fathered a daughter. After college, he was offered a clerkship in Travancore forest department which he happily took.
VOC, the inspiration:
It was in Travancore where he was leading a happy family life, Vanchinathan came to know about V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, who was fighting the British for the rights of the oppressed. In 1906, V.O.C launched the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, India's first shipping enterprise which operated two steamsihps between Tuticorin and Colombo thus putting a full-stop to British monopoly in shipping in the region. A year or so later, with the help of Coral mill workers, VOC staged a Strike against the management firm A&F Harvey which was paying very low wages to its labourers. These works of VOC inspired the young man who turned into a serious follower and made the dreams of the freedom fighter his own.
On March 12, 1908, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai was arrested for sedition and locked up in Palayamkottai. This stirred the emotions of freedom fighters in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin. Both the towns saw unprecedented agitations which was quelled with the help of a massive police force. A couple of months later, the court imposed two life sentences of 40 years each on VOC. VOC was sent to Coimbatore central prison where he spent the next two years. In 1911, Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company bankrupted and British took possession of the two steamships.
The Ashe murder:
Between 1906 and 1908, when the two navigation companies were pitted against each other in a fierce battle, Ashe was posted in Tirunelveli/Tuticorin either in the capacity of a collector or as a district magistrate. It is said that Ashe did everything in his power to kill Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company. He also fully backed A&F Harvey throughout the protest. It is also said that Ashe issued a shoot at sight order during the agitations that followed VOC's arrest. These must be the reasons, Ashe was targeted, if he was the one targeted at all (It was the collector of Tirunelveli Mr. Winch - and not Robert Ashe - who ordered the arrest of VOC in 1908. Some claim if Vanchinathan wanted to avenge VOC's arrest, it must have been by killing Mr. Winch who was directly responsible).
The mastermind behind the assassination was Nilakanta Bramhachari who went around the Madras presidency in 1910 recruiting cadres and hatching plots against the British. In this venture, he was accompanied by Shankar Krishna Aiyar, Vanchinathan's brother-in-law, who introduced the men to each other. This was when Vanchinathan was initiated into militant struggle for freedom. Along with a few other men, Nilakanta Bramhachari, Vaanchinathan and Shankar Krishna Aiyar found an organisation called Bharatha Matha Sangam which plots the assassination of influential British men.
The preparation for the murder began in early January 1911 when Vanchinathan took a three month break from his job and visited VVS Aiyar in Pondicherry. VVS Aiyar who was allegedly involved in many other conspiracies against the British trained Vanchinathan in firing a revolver among other things. It is said that Vanchinathan confessed to VVS Aiyar his plans to assassinate Ashe for his role in the arrest of VOC and the agitations that followed (could not be verified). A couple of months later, Vanchinathan's infant daughter died whose funeral he did not attend and Ashe was promoted as the acting collector of Tirunelveli.
The stage was set. The date was decided - June 11, 1911. It was to coincide with the coronation of George V. For some reason, there was no attempt on that day. The second one was planned for June 17, 1911.
On that day, Ashe with his wife Mary left Tirunelveli for Kodaikanal in a train to visit his childen. Vanchinathan and three others from Bharatha Matha sangam boarded the same train at Tirunelveli. At 9.30 A.M. the train reached Maniyachi. As soon as the train came to a halt, Vanchinathan boarded the first class in which Ashe and his wife were travelling. He shot Ashe with his browning, jumped out of the train and ran into the platform lavoratory. There, he shot himself to death. By the time police arrived, both Ashe and Vanchinathan were dead. The police discovered a letter in Vanchinathan's pocket signed "R. Vanchi Aiyar, Sengottai". It read:
"The mlechas of England having captured our country, tread over the sanathana dharma of the Hindus and destroy them. Every Indian is trying to drive out the English and get swarajyam and restore sanathana dharma. Our Raman, Sivaji, Krishnan, Guru Govindan, Arjuna ruled our land protecting all dharmas and in this land they are making arrangements to crown George V, a mlecha, and one who eats the flesh of cows. Three thousand Madrasees have taken a vow to kill George V as soon as he lands in our country. In order to make others know our intention, I who am the least in the company, have done this deed this day. This is what everyone in Hindustan should consider it as his duty."
Conspiracy:
Recently, a reverend, one Dr. Ravikumar Stephen, has proposed a theory on why Ashe was the target of the crime. He claims that Ashe's wife Mary was a social worker who helped a pregnant Dalit woman in Sengottai. Allegedly, she arranged a bullock cart for the woman who was suffering in labour pain and the bullock cart rode through the streets of Agraharam(the abode of Brahmins) which was not very well received by the Brahmins. Vaanchinathan, a Brahmin, was severely angered by this and took out his rage on the husband (However, strangely, he did not kill the wife).
Scholars have rejected this as an attempt to discredit the martyrdom of the young man who laid down his life at the age of 25 for freedom. Also, the reverend has not produced any evidence supporting his claim. Nor has anyone stepped forward to stand by him.
Developments since:
- During Rajiv Gandhi's reign, Maniyachi junction was renamed 'Vanchi' maniyachi junction.
- On June 17, 2011, a grandson of Ashe wrote to the family of Vanchinathan extending their friendship and offering reconciliation.
Today(June 17, 2014) is the 103rd anniversary of Vanchinathan. It is our duty to respect and remember the young freedom fighter who played his part in our freedom.
Comments
And about the Reverend: The story had not been backed by evidences.But we all know what kind of social injustice was followed against the Dalits in India.And to our pride,it's still been observed in many rural parts of India!
Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre was also a part of Indian history. People conveniently forget before posting their messages.
Connection with Paris anarchists forgotten
In the April number of Madame Cama's paper called Bande Mataram which was published in Paris about the end of May, there was some indication in one of the articles that a crime of this nature was in contemplation. It concluded with these words: "In a meeting or in a bungalow, on the railway or in a carriage, in a shop or in a church, in a garden or at a fair, wherever an opportunity comes. Englishmen ought to be killed. No distinction should be made between officers and private people. The great Nana Sahib understood this, and our friends the Bengalis have also begun to understand
There is a Donavur in Thirunelveli even today. It was started by Ami Carmichael a century or so ago. It gave asylum to orphans and girls who were assigned as Devadasis. Is it fiction.
Also there is a Clarinda church in Palyamkottai. It is in memory of one Gomathi of Thanjavur a brahmin. Saved by an Englishman from Sati. She converted to Christianity and through her what is today's christian population of Thirunelveli and Tuticorin came forth. Is it also a fiction. There is CMC hospital in Vellore. It was established by one Ida Scudder. She was a reluctant visitor to her father's hospital. Where a pregnant lady refused to get admitted bcause the doc was a male. Despite pleading that she was no doc they did not go to her father. Eventually the pregnant lady died. Then went Ida back to America, studied medicine and came to India never to go back again. Set this CMC. All these fake stories?