History of an organisation

 

That VOC challenged the British Empire by running a ship, is a part of the history books, confined of course to a few lines.  For that he has also been called ‘Kappalottiya Thamizhan’ (The Tamil man who ran a ship)

But beyond that, seldom we read through the events in detail. 

A.R. Venkatachalapathy has done extensive research for 40 years, of varied materials from various places and persons and brought out the ‘SWADESHI STEAM’, recording the turbulences that great man VOC, his family and compatriots faced in the less than 4 years of the daring attempt to challenge the British on its waters – just to run two ships between Tuticorin and Colombo.

The partition of Bengal, the rise of the extremist faction in the Congress, advice of Swami Ramakrishnananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to VOC to start a ship company, etc form the back drop.

The unstinted support of Subramania Bharathi throughout the adventure, through his articles, cartoons and appeals is well recorded.

The book gives details of those persons and regions which contributed; hesitated to contribute; or said would contribute, but did not.

VOC migrates to Tuticorin after a tussle with a police man and coinciding with the death of his first wife and re-marriage.

He starts three Swadeshi organisations at Tuticorin: A weaving factory, a shipping line and a Swadeshi emporium.  His friends warn him that starting a shipping line was tantamount to a common crow trying to imitate a peacock.

His undaunted spirit sees his negotiating the purchase of two ships, which face one difficulty after another, in being run as well as when it runs.  He is away at Bombay, with a vow to come back only with the Ships, when his first son is seriously ill and his wife is expecting to deliver his second child, any time. ‘In gratitude to S.T.S.Arumugam Pillai, a Turicorin trader and director of SSNCo who assisted the family at this crucial moment, VOC-following a Tamil convention-named his son after him’, informs the author.

Though he is not on the top of the list of Directors or Shareholders of the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, perhaps deliberately, he was its very soul.  It was he who mobilized support for the company.  It was he who did the publicity.  It was he who conducted all negotiations and took care of all requirements right from the Registration of the company to purchase of the ships, to running its day to day affairs.  It was he who also bore the entire brunt when the Empire struck back.  And more humiliatingly, in spite of every one knowing that he was the chief protagonist of the entire movement, to satisfy the ‘bosses’, he is forced to resign and yet face legal proceedings for the losses of the company.  At least the agony of Christ ends with betrayal and crucification.

All of us are somewhat aware of how much VOC was made to suffer at the Coimbatore Prison.  We do not know about the difficulties faced by his family later.  It requires a stony heart to read through the ordeals faced by VOC’s wife, when he was imprisoned at Cannanore. It is given in the Chapter ‘Running Aground’, in the book.

The people gave him support to run the steamers and when there was suppression by the Empire, corrupt practices indulged in by the rival British steamer company and ultimately VOC was got arrested, people revolted in a historic fashion.  And for having shown the temerity to shut down the shops and refuse food to the constables on duty, during the hartal when VOC was arrested, hundreds of people were arrested and the people of the area where forced to pay ‘punitive tax’ (‘Thimir vari’ in Tamil)

Right from not having non-European people trained to run the ships (the Gallia and the Lawoe), there were problems, unforeseen.  But it was surmounted by initially engaging Europeans and simultaneously starting training centers to get Indians trained.

Competing with English traders, that too on the seas and in which huge investments were required, was no easy task.  And getting monetary support when particularly against the ruling establishment was all the more daunting.

The book also gives details of previous such indigenous shipping ventures which had been commenced and had perished.

But, this venture had a difference: ‘It seemed as though the Swadeshi Company was propelled by patriotism and not steam’ says the author. VOC had prayed to Lord Muruga at Tiruchendur before he embarked on his journey to procure the ships, and when it was taking time, he wrote in a letter, ‘God has promised to give me whatever money I require for the cause of the country’.

As is the case in any organization, till date, the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company was felled only by the division between two segments – one which wanted to stick to the ideals for which the company was floated, i.e. to keep the flag of swadeshi flying high - and the other which wanted to play moderate and protect the material interests of the company alone.  While VOC was the vanguard of the first category, one K.R.Gurusamy Aiyar, who was part of the project all along and up to its very end was the head of the second category.  But as is natural, the name of Gururamy Aiyar has been consigned to the dust bin of history.

It appears that every organization faces this problem.  First, it is created for a particular purpose, then some others who join it want to run it only for its profit.

‘In his autobiography, VOC states with pain that, as the company made steady progress, those who had earlier discouraged him, now went to the extent of conspiring with BI from at least the latter part of 1907 if not earlier’. This is another typical phenomenon, faced by any organization with some ideals, till date.

The author notes about Arthur Lawley during whose period as governor of the Madras Presidency till 1912, the ‘movement’ had been crushed and that his repressive nature notwithstanding, Lawley figures benignly in some of R.K. Narayan’s Malgudy stories with a road named after him and a statute in his honour.  (Incidentally, in Coimbatore we have a real Lawley Road, though no statue of his is known to be there)

It is the combination of this Lawley with Robert Willaim D’Escourt Ashe as collector and magistrate of Tuticorin which conducted the entire suppression which lead to a revolt and later the assassination of Ashe at Manayachi Railway Station by Vanchi Nathan – again while there is a memorial for Ashe, none was made of Vanchi, the author notes.

Those who are desirous of knowing how any power, whether indigenous or foreign, imperial or otherwise would act to suppress any force that rises against, what methods would be adopted, who could be the victims of the scheme- siding with them and opposing them, what are the pitfalls of organizing humans for any particular purpose, should read this well researched document.

It will demonstrate how history has to progress in spite of constant attempts at betrayals.

A speech in Tamil on this book

Looking for the Third force

 

The above photo of Rajiv Gandhi with V.P. Singh is a poignant one.  It was obviously during the early days of their bonhomie.  The Raja of Manda looks royal as usual. Rajiv looks candid, casual and friendly.

When Rajiv entered the political arena as the PM, though he was anointed by the stage managers of the Congress by dubious and devious means, he appeared to be quite willing to be amiable, with an intend to take the country forward in its development and to curb corruption which was at the root of the ills we face.  But as it was natural, the old guard which had brought him into office succeeded in forming a coterie around him and he became a different person.  The huge victory in the parliament elections enabled by the massive sympathy wave went into his head and with his increasing realization that corruption was not so easy to fight as in school essays, he became defensive, defiant and at last lost the mandate.

The Raja of Manda, who started off well with Rajiv also shared his vision to end corruption. In fact, as the Finance Minister of the country, he made major inroads in that direction.  Not only was he amiable, he was also tough on the wrong doers.  He gave a free hand to enforcement agencies, but not to harass on the grounds of political opposition. 

But, with Rajiv coming under the influence of the old guard in the party, he could no longer travel with the Raja on the issue of corruption eradication.  Yet, he could not afford to be seen as openly dropping him from the key Finance portfolio.  So he used the ruse of a Pakistan building up forces at the borders to move the Raja to the Defence Ministry.  But then, Bofors issue raised by the CAG and investigation ordered by V.P.Singh himself into the HDW Submarine deal ensured that V.P.Singh would stick to the avowed principle of doing away with corruption in defence deals and part ways with Rajiv.

The next phase which the Raja chose was significant for the political development in the country.  He formed the Jan Morcha.  It was to be the Third force – the name given by Vinobha ji for the concept - and which was on the lines of the earlier JP Movement.  In fact, the prime proponent of this method was Gandhi ji.  He remained outside the political structure, officially, though he was able to operate its levers from outside, more than any other individual.  Though, technically it was called undemocratic, it was the essence of democracy and moral politics rolled into one since by his stature of uncompromisingly standing for the avowed principle for which the political structure vowed to exist, had the backing of the people of the land, which was more than any of the political structures with their vested interests. Of course once the political structure gained power, then moral authority had no more any relevance and he was promptly thrown out, months before he was physically assassinated by a ‘mad Hindu’.

JP also succeeded in being outside the party politics.  But soon he too became irrelevant for the people in power.  He died, just like Gandhi ji, a heart broken man.  The Janata Government which had taken office due to his efforts had fallen due to infighting. 

(Only EVR Periyar had survived this agony.  He could found a third force in the name of DK and still did not become irrelevant.)

When V.P.Singh wanted to emulate the previous two models, at the national level, his detractors came at him saying that he was running away from taking up responsibility as leader of the party and then as PM.  He took over as the leader of the Party and successfully faced the election and got the Congress unseated. Then when he took over as PM in spite of an immoral internal challenge from Chandrasekar, he was forced to put up with heavy weights like Devi Lal to run the government.  When the torment became unbearable, again his detractors started predicting that the Raja will flee, as he had done as CM, previously.  They conveniently brushed under the carpet the grandeur with which he had left the CM chair from UP decades ago.  They refused to see the character of the person in that.  Then he had to implement the Mandal hurriedly.  And the BJP lead then by L.K.Advani finding no way out of the Mandal ‘Chakravyuha’, took flight by climbing on the Rath to Ayodhya.  The chaos which have followed, are still there to be seen and assessed.

When I see Rahul, I see V.P.Singh and the unadulterated Rajiv in him.  He appears to have the wish of his father and intention of the Raja.  He also has so far exhibited the will of the Raja of Manda and appears to have learnt from his father’s mistake of allowing the old guards to form a coterie around. 

The third force should actively help in the endeavor.

As usual the detractors want to deflect him and discredit him. 

In the interest of a new political class to develop, it only is fondly hoped that the third force would thrive at least this time.

DHARMA

 

Came across a news item circulated in Whatsapp as below:

 

"In the Indian state of Karnataka, a leopard was chasing a dog to eat it, but the dog ran and jumped into the toilet of a government rest house, whose door was locked from the outside. The leopard also entered the toilet but both got trapped. The dog saw the leopard and sat quietly in a corner, waiting for the leopard to attack. Both animals stayed in different corners for about 12 hours. Then, the forest department team used a tranquilizer dart to capture the leopard and release it. The question is, why didn't the hungry leopard eat the dog, even though it was chasing it to eat, and could have easily done so in the locked toilet?"

-      I was reminded of another photo and news item where a Cheetah was kept in a cage near three other cages in which three dogs were also kept and when they were all released, when the dogs lunged forward, the cheetah had kept quiet.  The message said that the cheetah was not ready to prove its speed, just for a race.

While the Cheetah might have signaled ‘self respect’, the behavior of the leopard when it was trapped along with a prey it was pursuing, is intriguing.

On one hand, the pose of the dog, putting it’s head down, expecting to be attacked any moment by it’s expected predator, is heart rending.  On the other hand, the pose of the leopard lying in the other corner, perhaps expecting to be killed or trapped any moment is also hear rending.

The question as to why the leopard did not kill it’s prey, could be answered only by the probability that it knew about the trap and was fearing for it’s own life. The second possibility is it did not want to hunt a trapped prey?

Of course, had it been a man, in the place of the leopard, perhaps, even at that moment, he would have preferred to make best use of the opportunity and would have had a go at the prey.

Animals after all are seen to have some ground rules - DHARMA.

CHILD PLAY

 

CHILD PLAY

 

Children play
on the sea shores.

They run around,
Fall and rise,
Wet their feet’
In the graceful waves.

Children play
on the sea shores.

With the sand that was kissed
By repeated waves,
They build their house
With tiny hands.

Children play
on the sea shores.

When the waves advance
And touch their house
Or dash them down
They weep and yet,

Children play
on the sea shores.

Again and again,
They build houses,
With wet sand and
Tiny hands,

And Then when
roaring waves advance,
They jump aside,
And clap with glee

Even as the houses
Built by them
Are swept away
Without a trace.

Children play
on the sea shores.

When they grow up,
They walk around,
Lie on the sand
Stare at the sky.

Other children play
on the sea shores.

Then they watch
Other children build
Houses in sand
And the waves
Washing them away.

They smile at the games
other children play, for
‘Building houses in sand
Is better than castles in the air’.

Houses get built
Again and again
With wet sand and
Tiny hands,
Get destroyed
Again and again
By the raiding tides,
Without respite.

Still children play
And people watch
The endless game
With the endless waves.

Children still play
On the sea shores.

 

Antidote for 'Emergency'

 

Though I was only in the 5th Standard when the #Emergency was clamped, from my father I used to get regular updates regarding the happenings. It ignited the spirit to stand against injustice and authoritarianism.

Later from books like 'The Judgment' by #KuldipNayar (who with the support of #RamnathGoenka had conducted a spirited campaign against the Emergency through the Indian Express) and 'Delhi Under Emergency', I had the opportunity to learn about the Emergency vividly. The Book about the Alahabad High Court trial by #PrashanthBushan (The case that shook India) also was highly informative, giving the detailed proceedings in the High Court in which Shanthi Bushan had represented Raj Narayan against #Smt.IndiraGandhi which ultimately led to the unseating of the PM and her imposition of the Emergency to protect her reign.

What precipitated the Emergency was the refusal of #JusticeV.R.KrishnaIyer to give an unconditional stay against the High Court Order, but only a 10 day stay to enable the Congress party to elect a leader to occupy the post of PM. The Legendary #NaniPalkiwala, who was appearing on behalf of Smt. Indira Gandhi in the Supreme Court, walked out of the case, once the Emergency was declared and opposition leaders including JP and Morarji were arrested and put in jail.

What we faced during the 19 months of Emergency was only a small glimpse of what had been faced in other parts of the world during fascist regimes.

Nightmares still continue in various methods in different degrees, till date.

Hence, on this day, we once again try to analyze the symptoms of such ills and its antidote.

Symptoms:

Centralization of power

The belief in one leader as savior from all ills

The belief of the leader about one’s own importance and indispensability

Acceptance of the above from majority of people

Formation of cartels around the leader who has been accepted by popular support

Vested interests taking roots in the cartels

The leader coming under the sway of the cartels

All institutions made subservient to the interests of the supreme leader and the cartel that has formed around the leader

With the erosion of institutions, more and more dissent getting suppressed

Only ‘Yes men’ allowed

The leader gets alienated from the masses and real needs.

Antidote:

Consistent attempts by people with knowledge of the dangers of the above, to keep the people informed about the eventuality.

Constant reminder that in the entire history of humanity, no single human (or for that even ideology) has been able to solve all problems of mankind.

Constant reminder that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Constant reminder that there are no short cuts to development – that real and lasting development depends upon all round growth.

Constant reminder that what goes round, also comes round - injustice caused to one today could knock at our own gates tomorrow – and there may not be any one to support us, if we are quiet now, or even support injustice directly or tacitly.

Constant efforts to keep institutions of democracy and governance protected from encroachment by vested interests.

Reminding every generation that ‘Eternal vigil is the price of freedom’.

Protection from knowledge and even God

Al-Hujwiri was a Sufi saint belonging to the 11th Century, born near Ghazni (more known for the Muhamad of Ghazni, the invader) in Afghanistan.

Like many of the statements of the Sufi saints, some of his chief statements attracted me.

In his work, ‘Kashf al-Mahjub’ he is quoted as to saying:

“Whatever may be an activity, good or bad, once one gets used to it, mind easily accepts it. When such a habit is formed, then this practice itself becomes a screen between oneself and God. To tear that screen becomes the chief duty of a Sufi”.

It is stated that Mohammed the Prophet used to say that the fasting of brother Dawood Alaihislam was the greatest method of fasting because he would fast one day and would not do so on another day.

Fundamentally, all this point towards annihilating ritualism and even what one would hold as great knowledge.

This reminds one of the verse 9 of the Isopanishad which says,

“They who worship ignorance enter into darkness
They who worship knowledge enter into greater darkness”.

For an ordinary mind the first part is clear while the second is stupefying since knowledge only is capable of extinguishing ignorance and knowledge is after all held to be power.

This seemingly contradictory statement has been explained by great ones clarifying that worship of knowledge is different from acquiring knowledge and worshipping knowledge means one has stopped learning, but become ritualistic and hence is an impediment in really getting enlightened. It has been explained like this: To remove the thorn of ignorance, the thorn called knowledge is required and once the thorn called ignorance is removed, then the use of the thorn called knowledge also vanishes.


There is a story narrated about Abu Bakr al-Shibli, one of the great Sufi mystics.

It goes that when Shibli had a wash of himself and was about to enter the shrine, a voice within himself asked, ‘Do you think that you are very pure just because you have washed yourself?’.

When he was about to turn around and leave, the voice asked, ‘Having come to my house, are you returning without entering and thus insulting me?’.

When Shibli started lamenting about this predicament aloud, the voice within asked, ‘Are you shouting at me?’.

When Shibli kept quiet, the voice asked, ‘Are you putting on an act as if you are putting up with all ordeals?’.

In sheer exasperation Shibli cried, ‘Hey God, I pray that you may protect me from you’.

Sacrifice of oneself at the alter of God is said to be the greatest sacrifice.

All spiritual greats have repeatedly said this over centuries, all across the globe at various times.

God, grant us that wisdom.

Id Mubarak on this Bakrid to all friends.

 

 

God and inequality

          Once when we were arguing our case to an official, my friend said that there should be equality in application of certain principles.  The official with a wave of his hand said, ‘don’t talk about equality, even God is not equal’.  Though I was about to point out the provisions of the Constitution which stressed on equality before law, what actually I blurted out was, “Sir, that is the exclusive prerogative of God. I do not think humans should usurp it”. I said. This was something unexpected even by me.  The Official was startled. He looked up from the file he was perusing even while speaking to us, put down the pen and said, “ I am sorry, I withdraw my statement”.  His reaction was even more unexpected.  Instead of becoming angry, he had suddenly realized the enormity of his statement.

          Whenever I remember this episode, I am reminded of the parable in the Bible where workers come to a farm from morning to evening at different times of the day and at the time of leaving they are all given their wages for the day.  The one who came last is given an amount and the same amount is given to the one who came first also, prompting the one who came first to ask, how when he came early and toiled for more hours he was paid only what was paid to a person who came much later and worked for a much lesser time.  The owner of the farm tells him, ‘look only into what has been given to you, not into what was given to others’.

          This parable has been a bone of contention for those who believe in the theory of equality and particularly the Communists who feel that every one ought to be paid as per their contribution.

          Capitalists have however refused to accept the concept of such equality on grounds that the quality of work cannot be quantified as per the time taken to perform alone and also that it is the exclusive prerogative of the ‘owner’ to determine what should be given to whom.

          The parable in the Bible however is not related to material equality.  It is to be understood in the context of spiritual excellence.  When someone reaches the goal, it is immaterial whether he was first or last. It is this concept that is emphasized in the Bhagavatha story of Ajamila also.

          From the story of Ajamila one would feel that it is enough if he thinks of God at the time of death, for in the Bhagavat Gita it is said that one attains what one thinks at the time of death. 

(8.6: Whatever one remembers upon giving up the body at the time of death, O son of Kunti, one attains that state, being always absorbed in such contemplation.)

          However, it has been emphasized by the realized that it is not as easy as that.  At the time of death, only that desire which is predominant in mind would arise, they say.