Evergreen, heroic, legendary Muthuramalinga Thevar - I

Richard Nixon, the former  American President, wrote a great book titled, 'LEADERS' in which he observed as follows: "In the footsteps of great leaders, we hear the rolling thunder of history. Throughout the centuries — from the Ancient Greeks, through Shakespeare, to the present day — few subjects have proved more perennially fascinating to dramatists and historians alike than the character of great leaders.What sets them apart? What accounts for that particular, indefinable electricity that exists between the leader and the led? What makes the role of these leaders so compellingly interesting is not just its drama, but its importance — its impact. When the final curtain goes down on a play, the members of the audience file out of the theatre and go home to resume their normal lives. When the curtain comes down on a leader's life, the very lives of the audience have been changed, and the course of history may have been profoundly altered."

These thoughts came to my mind early in the morning today when I surveyed the life and achievements of the great and fearless fighter for India's freedom, Pasumpon Sri Muthuramalinga Thevar. Today happens to be the day of 'Thevar Jeyanthi', the birthday of Pasumpon Sri Muthuramalinga Thevar which is celebrated on a grand scale throughout Tamil Nadu. Apart from being a great freedom fighter, he was also an incomparable leader of the backward classes of Tamil Nadu, ever championing the cause of their socio-economic emancipation from all kinds of social, cultural and political tyranny throughout his life time.

'Vallalar' in popular parlance refers only to Sri Ramalinga Swami of Vadalur. Likewise 'Periyar' only means Sri E.V Ramaswami Naickar of Erode. 'Anna' refers only to Sri C. N Annadurai, the Founder of the DMK Party and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Similarly 'THEVAR' always, everywhere means only Pasumpon Sri Muthuramalinga Thevar.

THEVAR was born in a small village called Pasumpon in Ramnad District (Sivagangai District of today) on 30 October 1908. His father was Sri Ukrapandi Thevar a rich zamindar with extensive landed property in the area, his mother was Smt Indrani Ammaiyar. Within two months of his birth, Thevar's mother died. He was brought up by his beloved grandmother Smt Rani Ammaiyar. She showered all her affection upon him and brought him up in an exemplary manner, imparting to him all the social, cultural and ethical values, derived from our ancient epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagawata. Thevar was greatly thrilled and inspired by the stories relating to the triumph of Rama over Ravana, the victory of the Pandavas against the Kauravas and the exploits of Lord Krishna in particular Thevar was greatly moved by the manner in which his beloved God Lord Muruga crushed the army of Soorapadma, signifying the victory of everlasting good over transitory evil.

Thevar had his primary education at United Christian School at Madurai. Later he went to the Government High School at Ramanathapuram for his secondary education. He passed his Tenth Standard from this school and then very unfortunately his further formal education came to an abrupt end. There was an out break of plague in different parts of Ramanathapuram District in 1925 and his father was greatly worried about protecting his son against the attack of plague. Keeping this consideration in view he brought his son back to Pasumpon Village.
Notwithstanding this sudden stoppage of the further progress of his formal education, Thevar proved himself to be a very precocious person, displaying an unusual and extraordinary interest in the reading of all kinds of books relating to p[olitics, public affairs, literature, religion, philosophy and culture. As Lord Bacon said: "Reading maketh a full man." So also Thevar became a full man even in the early years of his manhood through his own strenuous exertions. Thevar also came to acquire deep knowledge in Vanasastra, Ayurvedic and Siddha Medicine and Astrology. He also trained himself intensively in the traditional martial arts like Silambum and horse riding apart from modern day rifle shooting. These faculties acquired in the early days of youth by Thevar stood him in good stead in the later years of his political and public life marked by great turmoil, embroiling political battles and ever-shifting ups and downs of the quick sands of political life. Early in his life Thevar came to acquire a great mastery of public speaking, both in Tamil and in English. Early in his political life, he also became noted for his unsurpassed eloquence in both English and Tamil which became famous both for their fireworks and fire.
When the Salt Satyagraha took place in 1930, like many young men of his generation, Thevar was also drawn fully into it. But even before that, he had become a whole time worker of the Congress party. When the Madras Session of the Congress took place in December 1927 at Madras, Thevar participated in it as a volunteer. He was only 19 years old at that time. Even at that time itself he caught the attention of Sri S. Srinivasa Iyengar who was one of the foremost Congress leaders at that time and who had earlier been Congress President.
On June 23, 1933, Thevar gave a remarkable speech at Vivekananda High School at Sayalgudi. He spoke for three hours on the need for independence for India. He referred to the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi who was the Field Marshal of India's peoples' forces for India's emancipation and freedom at that time. The people were spell bound by his eloquence.

In 1934 the Government of Madras brought in the Law relating to the Notified Criminal Tribes like the Piramalai Kallars of Madurai District (CD Act). There was a massive public agitation against this Act under the leadership like Sri P. Varadarajulu. At a great public meeting called Aappanadu Maravar Maanadu held at Abhiramam, Thevar spoke in a fiery manner, emitting his words of unquenchable political fire against the Government of Madras for having brought a law to suppress and to oppress the Marava community and other Backward Classes.
In 1936 Thevar was invited to address meetings by the Oversees Indians living in Burma. Thevar made a great name for himself as an indefatigable champion of India's freedom on the one hand and total emancipation of the socially enslaved backward classes of India on the other.
As the year 1936 was ending Thevar was completing his 28 years, he was already well known in the southern districts as a bold and fearless freedom fighter with unimpeachable public integrity, great mass appeal and enjoying the total ground level support of all the Backward Classes in the Southern Districts of Madras Presidency. All India leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Rajaji, M.S Anne, Subash Chandra Bose, Jaiprakash Narain and B.G. Kher were becoming increasingly aware and conscious of the emergence of a young, vital and vibrant leader in the South at that time.
Thus in Thevar they saw a man in whom there existed not only an immense capacity for public service but the touch of genius which everybody recognizes but no one can define. I can only define the genius of Thevar in the inimitable words of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) in respect of Lawrence of Arbia : 'Part of the secret of this stimulating ascendency lay of course in his disdain for most of the prizes, the pleasures and comforts of life. The world naturally looks with some awe upon a man who appears unconcernedly indifferent to home, money, comfort, rank, or even power and fame. The world feels not with out a certain apprehension, that here is someone outside its jurisdiction; someone before whom its allurements may be spread in vain; someone strangely enfranchised, untamed, untrammelled by convention, moving independently of the ordinary currents of human action; a being readily capable of violent revolt or supreme sacrifice, a man, solitary, austere, to whom existence is no more than a duty, yet a duty to be faithfully discharged.'
PASUMPON SRI MUTHURAMALINGA THEVAR was such a man: Unique, phenomenal, and monumental. This became fully established in the next year 1937.
(To be contd...)(The writer is a retired IAS officer)