I am traveling to talk about the great Indian freedom combatant ‘Kappalottiya Tamilian’ V. O. Chidambaram Pillai. He popularly known by his initials V. O. C was one of the most outstanding attorneies in 19th century British India. Chidambaram Pillai’s rebellious attitude and his bravery to move against the British authorities. the English stripped the rubric of barrister associated with his name. It was his courageous nature that won V. O. C the name ‘Kappalottiya Tamilian’ in Tamil Nadu. which translates to ‘The Tamil Helmsman’ in English.
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai was born on 5 September 1872 in Ottapidaram. Tuticorin territory of Tamil NaduState of India. the eldest boy of attorney Olaganathan Pillai and Paramayee Ammal. V. O. Chidambaram Pillai enrolled in schools in his native Ottapidaram and nearby Tirunelveli. V. O. C started working in the Ottapidaram territory administrative office after the terminal of his school instruction. It was merely a few old ages subsequently that he enrolled in jurisprudence school and completed jurisprudence surveies to go a attorney like his male parent Olaganathan Pillai.
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai entered into active political relations in the twelvemonth 1905 by going a member of the Indian National Congress. The Swadeshi motion in India was already at its hilt during this clip and leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak were seeking their best to set an terminal to British Imperial coercion of trade.
After fall ining the Indian National Congress. V. O. Chidambaram Pillai wholeheartedly immersed himself into Swadeshi work to procure independency for India. Part of his Swadeshi work was to set an terminal to the monopoly of British transportation in the seashores of Ceylon. Inspired by freedom combatant Ramakrishnananda. he set up the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company on November 12. 1906.
V. O. C’s ships started regular services between Tuticorin and Colombo. His transporting company was non merely a commercial venture. it was besides the first comprehensive transportation service set up by an Indian in British India.
V O Chidambaram Pillai was the writer of a twosome of novels ; he translated several James Allen works in Tamil and made digests of of import Tamil plants like the Thirukural and the Tolkappiam.
V O Chidambaram Pillai spent such an destitute life style after he was released from prison that Justice Wallace who sentenced V O C to prison restored his saloon licence. But V O C was ne’er successful in refunding his debts and lived in poorness till the terminal of his life on November 18. 1936. V O Chidambaram Pillai breathed his last at the Indian National Congress office in Tuticorin.
Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai is remembered as one of the most of import figures in India’s battle for independency. He is much loved and celebrated in the Tamil Nadu society boulder clay today.
