The Bharathi I Knew

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M.K. Yadhugiri Ammal's fond recollection of her growing up years in Puducherry in the turbulent days of the Indian freedom struggle when "Mahakavi" Bharathi opted to live in exile in French Pondicherry during the years 1912-1918. She had spent most of her time then with Bharathiyar's family, an integral part of her extended family. Enjoying the love and tutelage of the poet. The book captures the young Yadhugiri's excitement about Bharathiyar's poetry and enthusiasm for his progressive views on social reform. It presents twin perspectives of Yadhugiri as a child and as an adult forty years later.

Her adult perspective gives Bharathiyar's recalled words a special significance; and discovers in his life, a special message for humanity.

Introducing Srimathi Yadhugiri Ammal and her book Bharathi Ninaivugal (The Bharathi I Knew) gives rise to two contradictory feelings in my mind. On the one hand, I am delighted that a book that had been lying idle for fifteen years for want of a publisher is finally getting published. On the other hand, I am sad that the author, who was with us until recently, is no more, at a time when her greatest desire was getting fulfilled. Srimathi Yadhuguri Ammal was a completely satisfied woman when she passed away on August 2, 1954. She had made all the arrangements for the release of the book on Bharathi Remembrance Day. She had been quite ill for years and it seemed as if she had been waiting only to complete the preparations for the final printing of the book.

Bharathiyar, who came to Chennai in 1904 as the assistant editor of Swadesamitran, became the editor of India, the vibrant Tamil weekly, within just two years. India was the resounding voice of a youth organisation called Chennai Jana Sangam.

Bharathi, Va.Ve.Su. Iyer, Mandayam Srinivasaachari, and S. Duraisamy Iyer were some of the prominent members of this organisation whose members considered Bal Gangadhar Tilak as their leader. It was the Mandayam family who financed and managed the magazine.

In this world, a man's first and greatest love is reserved for his children and then for his shishyas. His instinctive love for them is boundless.

I feel proud now to acknowledge that I had the good fortune to be both Bharathiyar's shishya and favourite daughter about forty years ago in Puducherry.

In the Puducherry of that time, freedom fighters were called swadeshis. Some of them chose to and some were forced to live as exiles in Puducherry because of their commitment to the cause of Indian Independence. Prominent among them were Mahakavi Bharathiyar, Sri Va.Ve.Su. Iyer, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, my father Sri Srinivasaachariyar (who managed Bharathiyar's weekly, India), and Sri Thirumalaachariyar. Many other freedom fighters, too, used to drift in and out of Puduvai.

My father and Bharathiyar used to be close friends even during their days in Chennai. Our families were also close to each other and Bharathiyar used to visit our house frequently. Whenever he finished composing a song or a poem, he used to take delight in singing it for us.