A slice of Bharati’s life from prism of childhood

Much has been written about the life and times of firebrand poet and revolutionary Subramania Bharati. As we observe Bharati’s 96th

death anniversary

, a unique yet lesser known book that comes to mind is the one written by

Yadugiri Ammal

, the daughter of freedom fighter Mandayam Srinivasachari. Published posthumously in 1954 the book ‘Bharati Ninaivugal’ (Bharati’s thoughts) was based on Yadugiri’s acquaintance with

Bharati

during his exile in Pondicherry in the 1900s.

In 1908, Bharati was coerced to move to Pondicherry by his associates fearing arrest by the British. Later Mandayam Srinivasachari moved to Pondicherry with his press to bring out the journal ‘India’ that continued publishing cartoons and fiery articles against the British rule.

At Pondicherry, Yadugiri, Srinivasachari’s eldest daughter moved closely with Bharati and was witness to many events and occasions on which the poet penned his thoughts. The 26 essays that she wrote on Bharati are based on events that occurred between 1912 and 1918. Bharati’s biographer R A Padmanabhan, who wrote the introduction to Yadugiri’s book had said that her essays had helped him construct the life history of the revolutionary poet.

In one of the essays Yadugiri recounts how she would watch Bharati recite his poems and he in turn would hand her over sheets of papers to write her experiences. In the foreword to her book she mentions that she had compiled these sheaves into a notebook which was lost in a storm that devastated Pondicherry in 1916.

Her descriptions of mundane incidents in Bharati’s life reflect his sagacious nature. One such incident happened when Bharati along with his friends and their family was going to the beach to have a bath. The children were given turmeric powder and quarter of an anna to drop in the sea as an offering. On the way they saw a snake charmer asking for alms. Yadugiri’s brother gave him a coin, but the charmer begged for more. To the surprise of all, Bharati immediately changed into a towel and gave away his new dhoti to the snake charmer. When asked Yadugiri’s uncle, if he could write and sing in the tune of the charmer, Bharati wrote the poem ‘Bharata desamenru peyar solluvaar’.

Another interesting episode is about an argument between Bharati and his wife Chellamma in Yadugiri’s presence. Chellamma asked Bharati to write something for ‘Swadesamithran’ so that they will get some money. Irritated by the sound of paddy being pounded nearby, she asked the woman pounding it to stop the noise so that Bharati could concentrate. Bharati said that the woman must go ahead with her job as the sound of pounding cheered him. In tune with the sound he wrote ‘Manathil uruthi vendum’, a song now much appreciated by all.

In her book, Yadugiri narrates graphically the great rain of November 16, 1916 and how Bharati sang after the calamity the songs ‘Kaani nilam vendum’, ‘Pizhaiththa thennamthoopu’ and ‘Thikkiukal ettum sithari’ all with the storm as the theme.

When Bharati passed away Yadugiri was in Bengaluru and when she visited Madras in 1923, Chellamma told her that Bharati had asked about her before his death. It was Yadugiri, to whom Bharati had once told one of his immortal lines. "Yadugiri, I may not see it but you will see it; one day all will be praising my songs and sing them. Today Tamil world is blind; even when opened it is in an infantile stage!" How prophetic.

(The author is a culture enthusiast)