Subramanya Bharathi

 

Born December 11, 1882

Death: September 11, 1921

 

Subramanya Bharathi, also known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar, was credited to be the pioneer of modern Tamil poetry. Bharathi was also known for more than being a poet, he was also a writer, a journalist, and an Indian independence activist.

 

Early Life

 

Bharathi was born in Ettayapuram on December 11, 1882 to Chinnasami Subramanya and Lakhsmiammaal as “Subbayya” in the Tamil village. By the age of 5 he lost his mother and by the age of 15 he lost his father.

 

His father wished for him to become an engineer, and by doing so wanted him to learn English and excel in arithmetic in order to lead a comfortable life. Bharathi attended “The M.D.T Hindu College”. He began learning music at a young age, and when he was 11 he learned songs. Through his exceptional skill in learning, he was given the name “Bharathi” which means one blessed by Saraswati, the goddess of learning.

 

 

Career

 

During Bharathi’s stay in Varanasi, he became attracted to Hinda spirituality and nationalism. He was inspired after meeting Sister Nivedita, the spiritual daughter of the great Indian philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. He began to take a active role in awakening the sense of nationalism in India through his work as an assistant editor of the Tamil daily “Swadeshamitran” and eventually the editor of the Tamil weekly “India” and “Bala Bharatham”.

 

Much of Bharathi’s work was involved with the Indian freedom struggle. Particularly his “Viduthalai, Viduthalai” was a call to be free, as a nation, from British control.

 

 

Activism

 

Bharathi was against social poverty, exploitation and the British ruling over the country. His poetry often reflected these ideals and were published in his newspapers. Bharathi used poetry as a means to influence and encourage the people in south India to join the great Indian struggle for independence.

 

In 1906, Bharathi was part of the All India Congress meeting in Calcutta. He supported the demand for ‘Swaraj’ or for India to self-rule. He found himself in the militant wing of the Indian National Congress, which openly supported armed resistance against the British.