Birth: 11th December 1882, in Ettayapuram, Madras Presidency.
Brief Profile: Indian writer of the nationalist period (1885-1920) who is regarded as the father of the modern Tamil style.
Also known as ‘Mahakavi Bharathiyar’.
Involvement during Nationalist Period:
After 1904, he joined the Tamil daily newspaper Swadesamitran.
This exposure to political affairs led to his involvement in the extremist wing of the Indian National Congress (INC) party.
In order to proclaim its revolutionary ardour, Bharathi had the weekly newspaper named ‘India’ printed in red paper.
It was the first paper in Tamil Nadu to publish political cartoons.
He also published and edited a few other journals like “Vijaya”.
Attended the annual sessions of INC and discussed national issues with extremist leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, B.G. Tilak and V.V.S. Iyer.
His participation and activities in Benaras Session (1905) and Surat Session (1907) of the INC impressed many national leaders
Published the sensational “Sudesa Geethangal” in 1908.
Bharati’s reaction to the Russian Revolutions of 1917, in a poem entitled “Pudiya Russia” (“The New Russia”), offers a fascinating example of the poet’s political philosophy.
He was forced to flee to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), a French colony, where he lived in exile from 1910 to 1919.
During this time, Bharati’s nationalistic poems and essays were popular successes.
Important Works: Kaṇṇan pāṭṭu (1917; Songs to Krishna), Panchali sapatham (1912; Panchali’s Vow), Kuyil pāṭṭu (1912; Kuyil’s Song), Pudiya Russia and Gnanaratham (Chariot of Wisdom).
Many of his English works were collected in ‘Agni and Other Poems and Translations and Essays and Other Prose Fragments’ (1937).
Death: 11th September 1921.
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