Recalling his childhood days, ‘Kadhar’ Ayyamuthu, a popular freedom fighter of Coimbatore, writes in his book Enathu Ninaivugal that he saw a man, who was chained and dragged by the policemen on Jail Road in Coimbatore. But, only later he discovered that the man was none other than V.O.C.
In Bharathiraja’s 1978 film Kizhake Pokum Rayil, when a few playful children speak to the unemployed hero to know what his profession is, the hero tells them that he is a poet. But, the wards, who were wrongly taught by their parents about the ‘role’ of a poet in society, confirm by their question: “So you are a Dhandachoru?” (A man, who is fit for nothing but to eat) However, according to Ulaganathan Pillai, father of famous freedom fighter, poet, and swadeshi V.O Chidhamparam Pillai, the term ‘poet’ is an honourable title that he used before his son’s name as ‘Kavirajar Chidamparam Pillai’ even in his wedding invitation!
Though the general history of the Indian freedom struggle says little about V.O.C’s days in Coimbatore, they are still fresh in the memories of the historians of Coimbatore.
“It is said that VOC worked as a staff in The Kamatchi Vilas Bank Limited at Sundakkamuthur near Perur for a meager salary. He lived after his release from prison,” says history enthusiast and noted environmentalist Perur Jayaraman.
Recalling his childhood days, ‘Kadhar’ Ayyamuthu, a popular freedom fighter of Coimbatore, writes in his book Enathu Ninaivugal that he saw a man, who was chained and dragged by the policemen on Jail Road in Coimbatore. But, only later he discovered that the man was none other than V.O.C.
It is interesting to note that VOC christened his children in memory of his days in Coimbatore.
“A daughter was born to V.O.C when he lived at Perur and he christened the newborn as Maragathavalli in memory of Lord Patteeswarar’s consort Maragathampikai in Perur” informs Jayaraman.
He also adds saying that VOC christened one of his sons Subramaniam as a token of gratitude to Tamil scholar and lawyer ‘Sivakavi’ C.K Subramaina Mudhaliar, who was of great help to V.O.C during his days in Coimbatore.
Interestingly, V.O.C extended his gratitude to an Englishman too.
In memory of E.H Wallace, an English judge who helped V.O.C in restoring his pleadership license, he christened his other son as Walleswaran!
Noted Tamil scholar Sethupathy, in his book Ellai Ondrimnai Enum Porul: Bharathi, points out a time when a tired V.O.C was found napping on a bundle of India - a newspaper, which Bharathi edited for a brief stint!
"It happened during the pre-independence days at Puducherry. V.O.C, after serving his sentence in Coimbatore Prison, came to Puducherry to meet Bharathi. When Bharathi and Bharathidasan returned to the newspaper office, they found V.O.C sleeping with his head resting on a bundle of India!"
Sethupathi narrates this anecdote from a poem by Bharathidasan found in the book Paventham.
"Koventhan, the author of the book Paventham, once asked Bharathidasan whether he had written many poems on V.O.C, and the poet told him that many admirers of V.O.C had often approached him and collected his poems. Bharathidasan also told him that a few had even sent him copies of the magazines containing his verses on V.O.C," says Sethupathi.
Koventhan later discovered an important poem by Bharathidasan from V.C Seenivasan, the grandson of the erudite Tamil scholar Parithimar Kalaignar (Surya Narayana Sastri).
“Koventhan discovered the poem in 1978 at Coimbatore, but it does not appear in the editions of Bharathidasan's works. When he came to unveil Bharathi's statue at a government school in Avinashi, he met Seenivasan - the one that showed Koventhan the rare poem by Bharathidasan. The verse describes the meeting between V.O.C and Bharathi in Pondicherry," informs Sethupathi.