Subramania Bharathi

Today, 11th December, is the birthday of the great Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi ( 1882-1921 ). I had appealed to the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to award him Bharat Ratna posthumously, but in their wisdom the Government ( or rather, the person who was in fact running the Government at that time ) gave it to Sachin Tendulkar.

Hari Om !

Subramania Bharati was a great patriot and nationalist, as the poem given below shows :

" Muppadhu kodi mugamudayal

Enil maipuram ondrudayal

Ival seppumozhi padhinetudayal

Enil sindhanai ondrudayal "

i.e.

" This Bharatmata has 30 crore faces

But her body is one

She speaks eighteen languages

But her thought is one "

Subramania Bharathi wrote (around 1908-1910) powerful verses in favour of women’s emancipation. In fact he wrote all this at a time when probably no one in India, or even in foreign countries, even thought of women's emancipation, and thus he was far ahead of his times :

“Gummiyadi Gummiyadi Nadumughudum

Kulungida thaikotti Gummiyadi

Nammai pidiththa pisasugal poyina

Nanmai kandomendru Gummiyadi

Ettaiyum pengal thoduvadhu teemaiyendru

Enniyirundhavan mainduvittar,

Veettunkulley pennai pootivaipomenra

Vindhai manidhar thalai kavinghhar”

(Dandiya-dance to celebrate women’s emancipation) : 

“Dance oh friend dance, playing dandiya let it be with such

force that as you dance it shakes up and wakes up this entire Nation.

Let us dance to celebrate our emancipation from the ghosts

which were holding on to us for centuries. Let us celebrate our achievement.

Those who thought that if education was given to women it

would harm society, are all dead today !

Those strange fellows who wanted women to be kept locked

inside their homes have now tasted their downfall !

So, oh friends ! Let us celebrate the emancipation of women

and dance playing dandiya”.

“Pudhumaip Penn” (The New Woman)

“Aanum Pennum Nigar Enakkollvathaal

Arivil O’ngi Ivvaiyagam Thazhaikkumaam”

(This world will achieve excellence in knowledge

and wisdom by holding men and women equal)

“Vilagi Veettilo’r Pondhil Valarvadhal

Veerap-Pengal Viraivil Ozshippaaram”

(Valiant women will soon eradicate the custom

of growing in seclusion in homes)

“Pengal Viduthalaik Kummi” (Women Liberation Song)

“Yettaiyum Pengal Thoduvathu Theemai

Endrenni Irundhavar Maaindhu Vittaar,

Veettukkulle Pennai Pootti Vaippom Endra

Vindhai Manithar Thalai Kavizhndhaar”

(Those who thought that it was a sin for women to

touch books are dead.

The incredible men who

wanted to lock women inside their homes 

now hang their heads in shame)

“Kangal Irandinil ordrai kuththi

Kaatchi Kedutthidalamo

Pengal arivai valarthal, vaiyyam

Pedamai attridum kaaneer

(from a poem titled “Murasu”)

(Out of the two eyes, if you pierce and destroy

one, are you not spoiling your own vision? In fact,

if you educate the women, the backwardness

which grips this world will vanish automatically.”)

“Pattankkal Aazhvadum Sattankkal Seivathum

Paarinil Penkal Nadatha Vanthom

(Women have come up now to get degrees,

to legislate and rule in the world)

My appeal to the then Government of India to award Bharat Ratna to Subramania Bharathi obviously fell on the deaf ears of the person who was in fact ruling India at that time, and who has no knowledge of our culture. Sachin Tendulkar was, in that person's eyes, a greater person than Subramania Bharathi.

Hari Om!