We celebrate September 5 as #TeachersDay in honor of S. Radhakrishnan, however it is also the Jayanti of another great person not so well known. V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, also known as Kapalottiya Tamizhan( The Tamil Helsman), one of the foremost freedom fighters of Tamil Nadu. And the first Indian to start a shipping service in competition to British monopoly. A truly great freedom fighter, who unfortunately never got his due, and died in poverty in his lifetime. And a succesful entrepreneur too.
He was born on September 5, 1872 in Ottapidaram a small town in Tuticorin district, famous for it’s Amman temple, and the fort of the legendary Tamil warrior Veera Pandya Kattabomman just 3 km away at Panchalankurichi. His parents were Olaganerohathan Pillai and Paramayee
Like any other child of his age, he loved playing games in the outdoor like goli, kabbadi, silambattam and was equally good at chess. At the age of 14 he went to Thoothukudi to continue his studies at the Caldwell High School and later at Hindu College High School,Tirunelveli.
He worked as a clerk for some time, before his father sent him to Trichy to study law. He passed his law exam in 1894 and returned to Ottapidaram the next year to practice as a pleader. He was influenced by the ideology of Swami Vivekananda to do something for India, and at
Along with Subramanya Siva and Bharatiyar, he emerged as one of the prominent faces of the freedom movement in Madras Presidency. Following the partition of Bengal in 1905, he joined the Indian National Congress. He was part of the extremist faction headed by the Lal, Bal, Pal
Pillai's biggest achievement though would be setting up India’s first ever indigenous shipping service. Those days the British had a monopoly over the shipping services, specifically the British India Steam Navigation Company, that ran all the services from India.
He started India’s first ever swadeshi shipping company in 1906, to break the stranglehold of the British on India’s shipping sector. With a capital of 10 lakh rupees, VOC registered the Swadeshi Shipping in October 1906, the director was Pandi Thurai Thevar.
The company initially did not have any ships of it’s own, and had to take them on lease from Shawline Steamers. When British India Steam pressurized Shawline to cancel the lease, VOC realized the need of having their own fleet. Travelling across India, he raised money for the
British India Steam tried to undercut his firm, by offering fares of Rs 1 per head, however VOC struck back by offering fare of 50p( 8 Annas). The British tried to buy his company out, however he flatly refused the deal. And soon the first ever Indian shipping service commenced
VOC led the strike in demanding higher wages, better working conditions. The management finally agreed to the demands, and Aurobindo praised both Pillai and Shiva in his Vande Mataram daily. By now the British were concerned about VOC’s growing popularity, and a British official
Thirunelveli erupted in protest against VOC’s arrest, with schools, shops and colleges shut down, while a massive strike was observed in Thoothukudi. Four people were killed in police firing, and rallies were taken out denouncing VOC’s arrest. Charged with sedition, he was
Interned in Coimbatore and later Kannur, VOC was not treated as a political prisoner, rather he was treated as a convict, and made to do hard labor. Yoked to oil press in place of bullocks, he was made to work in the hot sun, beaten up. The hard labor and the torture he suffered
His law licence was stripped from him, and he was not permitted to return to Tirunelveli. Almost in penury, he moved to Chennai with his wife and two young sons, where he ran a small provisions store just to survive. It was around that time he had that long winded exchange with
Basically Gandhi was visiting Chennai in 1915, when VOC came to meet him. Some of his friends in South Africa, had pooled some money for him, and sent it via Gandhi. However an inordinately long period of time, passed back and fro, though Gandhi had agreed to help with the
With meager income, he petitioned the court to give him permission to practice law again,which was finally granted. He once again began his law practice at Kovilpatti in 1927, and also rejoined the Congress at Salem. However once again he quit the party disillusioned by their
Finally on November 18, 1936, V.O.Chidambaram Pillai passed away in relative obscurity. The man who defied the British, launched India’s first shipping service was no more. However he lives on in the hearts of Tamil people as Kapalottiya Thamizan and Chekkiluththa Chemmal- the
The Tuticorin Port has been named in his honor, while his statues are there in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi. Freedom fighter, thinker, nationalist, writer, entrepreneur V.O.Chidambaram Pillai was indeeed one of the great leaders of the Independence movement.
Kapalottiya Thamizan , V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, who set up India's first ever indigenous shipping service. Another forgotten hero, who deserves his due and needs to be known more. #Naman on his Jayanti today, which often gets overshadowed by #TeachersDay
My article and podcast on VOC Pillai, on his Jayanti do check out and share.