00A- PUBLISHER'S INTRODUCTION
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https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=201927#p201927
by arasi »
Since we are curious about dates and clues (which may help us while we read this narrative), I decided to post the publisher's Introduction and Yadugiri Ammal's Foreward before continuing on with the book...
INTRODUCTION
I write the introduction to Smt. Yadugiri Ammal's book with two opposing emotions. I am delighted that this book which for fifteen years has awaited a publisher, is in print today. Alas, just when her desire to see it in print was nigh, the author of this book left us which fills me with sadness. Yadugiri Ammal had done everything she had to, to get this book ready for the publisher. She was very happy when things started moving and even exclaimed: this book is going to be ready by the coming Bharathi Day!
She passed away on August 2nd. For someone who was ailing for a long time, she perhaps waited a bit more to make sure that her book about Bharathi was going to see the light of the day, after all.
Bharathi arrived in Chennai in 1904 to be a sub-editor at SvadESamitran. Within two years, he became the editor of the weekly INDIA, the thunderous voice of Chennai Jana Sangam, a youth brigade. Its members considered Lokamanya Tilak as their leader. The leading among them were Bharathi, va vu chi (kappalOTTiya tamizhan, Chidambaram piLLai--Arasi), Mandayam Srinivasachari, S Duraiswamy Iyer and others. It was the Mandayam family which financed the publication. INDIA had fire-breathing articles, editorials and cartoons which ridiculed the British Raj and those who fawned on it. The journal created a revolution in Tamizh nADu politics.
It was feared that Bharathi would be arrested. The police did come with a warrant but something unexpected happened. Since the official editor for the journal was M. Srinivasan, he got arrested and went to jail.
The youth decided that they should run the paper from French India and fight for freedom. Bharathi escaped the police and reached Puduvai. Within weeks, Srinivasachari followed him. So did the press. INDIA which was silent for a few weeks, started its work with renewd energy. Bharathi's idea that they could fight the British Government from Puduvai worked and brought two more political leaders, Arabindo Ghosh and Va ve su to Puduvai.
The unity among these men who had left their land was very much evident among their families too. Srinivasachari's family was a support system for Bharathi's family. This was mutually so. After Va ve su arrived with his family, they became part of this family of friends.
Va ve su Iyer's wife Bhagyalakshmi has said this: Chellamma, Bharathi and Srinivasachari's families and our family were like one family. We went to the beach almost every day. Sometimes, Bharathi, on seeing the sea and the sky, would forget himeslf and start singing...
Yadugiri Ammal who is the author of this book is the eldest daughter of Mandayam Srinivasachari. When Bhaarthi was in Puduvai, she was a little girl. She moved intimately with Bharathi and gained his affection. In this book, she describes Bharathi as she had knew him then.
Bharathiyar's political friends like Va vu chi and his disciples like va rA and Bharathidasan, Bharathi's wife Chellammal and his daughter Thangamma have written books about him from their perspectives. Here, we see a child's perspective of the bard and the freedom fighter. She brings to us Bharati the man and the householder. Her homespun style of writing gives this work a distinct flavor.
A genius can be compared to a diamond's sparkle. It is difficult to discern its thousands of rays of light with the help of just one individual. Each sees its play of color from his or her own point of adoration. Some times, they may aver that their points of view alone count! It's possible that they are right, but an opposing point of view may not be invalid, either! To fully understand a genius like Bharathi, you have to bring together all perspectives and then try to understand him. Yadugiri Ammal has spoken of some important and valuable incidents in Bharathi's life from 1912 to 1918 in this work which contributes to our fully understanding the life of Bharathi.
Though it is a pity we have lost the author, we are fortunate in that her old father Sri Srinivasachariar, Bharathi's friend and publisher is still alive at this ripe old age, and lives with his son in Delhi. Bharathi's friends Parasu Nellaiyappar and Doraiswamy Iyer are too. It is the duty of the lovers of Bharathi to seek their help by asking them to describe the Bharathi they knew and publish a book about it.
This way, we will know all the facets of Bharathi's life.
3-9-54 rA. a. Padmanabhan
INTRODUCTION
I write the introduction to Smt. Yadugiri Ammal's book with two opposing emotions. I am delighted that this book which for fifteen years has awaited a publisher, is in print today. Alas, just when her desire to see it in print was nigh, the author of this book left us which fills me with sadness. Yadugiri Ammal had done everything she had to, to get this book ready for the publisher. She was very happy when things started moving and even exclaimed: this book is going to be ready by the coming Bharathi Day!
She passed away on August 2nd. For someone who was ailing for a long time, she perhaps waited a bit more to make sure that her book about Bharathi was going to see the light of the day, after all.
Bharathi arrived in Chennai in 1904 to be a sub-editor at SvadESamitran. Within two years, he became the editor of the weekly INDIA, the thunderous voice of Chennai Jana Sangam, a youth brigade. Its members considered Lokamanya Tilak as their leader. The leading among them were Bharathi, va vu chi (kappalOTTiya tamizhan, Chidambaram piLLai--Arasi), Mandayam Srinivasachari, S Duraiswamy Iyer and others. It was the Mandayam family which financed the publication. INDIA had fire-breathing articles, editorials and cartoons which ridiculed the British Raj and those who fawned on it. The journal created a revolution in Tamizh nADu politics.
It was feared that Bharathi would be arrested. The police did come with a warrant but something unexpected happened. Since the official editor for the journal was M. Srinivasan, he got arrested and went to jail.
The youth decided that they should run the paper from French India and fight for freedom. Bharathi escaped the police and reached Puduvai. Within weeks, Srinivasachari followed him. So did the press. INDIA which was silent for a few weeks, started its work with renewd energy. Bharathi's idea that they could fight the British Government from Puduvai worked and brought two more political leaders, Arabindo Ghosh and Va ve su to Puduvai.
The unity among these men who had left their land was very much evident among their families too. Srinivasachari's family was a support system for Bharathi's family. This was mutually so. After Va ve su arrived with his family, they became part of this family of friends.
Va ve su Iyer's wife Bhagyalakshmi has said this: Chellamma, Bharathi and Srinivasachari's families and our family were like one family. We went to the beach almost every day. Sometimes, Bharathi, on seeing the sea and the sky, would forget himeslf and start singing...
Yadugiri Ammal who is the author of this book is the eldest daughter of Mandayam Srinivasachari. When Bhaarthi was in Puduvai, she was a little girl. She moved intimately with Bharathi and gained his affection. In this book, she describes Bharathi as she had knew him then.
Bharathiyar's political friends like Va vu chi and his disciples like va rA and Bharathidasan, Bharathi's wife Chellammal and his daughter Thangamma have written books about him from their perspectives. Here, we see a child's perspective of the bard and the freedom fighter. She brings to us Bharati the man and the householder. Her homespun style of writing gives this work a distinct flavor.
A genius can be compared to a diamond's sparkle. It is difficult to discern its thousands of rays of light with the help of just one individual. Each sees its play of color from his or her own point of adoration. Some times, they may aver that their points of view alone count! It's possible that they are right, but an opposing point of view may not be invalid, either! To fully understand a genius like Bharathi, you have to bring together all perspectives and then try to understand him. Yadugiri Ammal has spoken of some important and valuable incidents in Bharathi's life from 1912 to 1918 in this work which contributes to our fully understanding the life of Bharathi.
Though it is a pity we have lost the author, we are fortunate in that her old father Sri Srinivasachariar, Bharathi's friend and publisher is still alive at this ripe old age, and lives with his son in Delhi. Bharathi's friends Parasu Nellaiyappar and Doraiswamy Iyer are too. It is the duty of the lovers of Bharathi to seek their help by asking them to describe the Bharathi they knew and publish a book about it.
This way, we will know all the facets of Bharathi's life.
3-9-54 rA. a. Padmanabhan
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