http://innamburan.blogspot.com
Chapter 1
THE BODHI TREE
Saunters in Subramania Sivam (Sivam) (1884-1925), the spit-fire
patriot clad in a loose shirt, furled dhoti and tilted turban tut-
tuting his inseparable staff. The staff and his flowing beard remind
one of a domineering Moses. Having shattered the calm in Navasakthi
[4] office, he aggravates the situation by loudly hailing for the
‘castor-oil Mudaliyar’, his epithet for ThiruViKa. His other epithets
for him are, ‘vendaikkai’ and ‘vazha vazha’, all insinuating that
there is no ‘cut and thrust’ to his writings. A contributor to the
weekly himself, he had come to tongue lash him for supporting an
Indian marrying a foreigner. Rukmini Devi (1904-1986), the classical
dancer, was marrying George Sidney Arundale (1878-1945), the
Theosophist. Leading lights like the Hindu and Swadesamithran had
deplored it. C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) (1878-1972), Gandhiji’s
‘conscience-keeper’ drops in one day to exercise his persuasive charm
on a reluctant ThiruViKa to append his signature to an announcement
which was to escalate a schism later.
E.Ve.Ramasamy Naicker (EVeRa) (1879-1973), every inch the cap less
Fidel Castro, drops in often for some robust disputation. He is the
founder of the Dravidian movement, the staple of the Tamil Nadu
politics. Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiyar (Bharathiyar) (1882-1921),
the uncrowned Tamil poet-laureate, stages a majestic entry one day.
In the assistant editor Ve.Swaminatha Sarma’s words: Open coat,
collarless shirt with tie, a blue towel casually draped on a shoulder,
bright striped turban, red dot in the forehead, cropped moustache,
sunken cheeks and ‘tiger, tiger burning’ bright eyes, horror of
horrors – puffing a long cigar! [Sarma, (1959). p.233) [5] This was,
but, at Desabakthan office earlier.
Thiruvika lost his customary cool one day at Desabakthan office, which
could have cost him dearly. The police had entered the office in his
absence and commenced search operations. For once, he was
belligerent. Storming in, he berated them and asked them to get lost;
it is said, that he pushed an officer or at least made for it. They
departed, grumbling that he lacked manners. Shocked beyond belief,
Va. Oo. Chidambaram Pillai (VaOosi) (1872-1936), the fiery lawyer who
had defied the British by running a shipping line, put him in his
place by reading the riot act.
The neem tree in the gardens of Sadhu Acchukkudam, the printing press
and offices of Navasakthi at Ganapathy Mudaly Street, Royapettah,
Madras was a mute witness to all such trespasses into the pristine
precincts of the weekly. ThiruViKa’s favourite perch was a chair
under this tree. The printing press and the weekly, the tree coming
as a bonus, were gifted to him by the working class. His brother,
Thiru. Vi. Ulaghanatha Mudaliyar ran the back office and minded the
till as the proprietor, leaving him to his Bodhi tree and his
meditations. The Bodhi Tree is a metaphor for him.
Notes:
4. The Glossary will explain unfamiliar and Tamil words in italics,
as in this sample.
5. Referencing and citation: Harvard APA. A History referencing
system, with a protocol for using footnotes, will also be
considered for the book.
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment