The
Tamils and Bharathi
Bharathi was not only the first modern Tamil but also the greatest Tamil of modern days. When we say modern days we mean the days from the twentieth century. Bharathi was a multifaceted personality. His attributes were many. Firstly, he was a great poet and rightly called as "Maha Kavi", meaning great poet. And he is the only poet in Tamil who can be given that epithet, no matter what names the present day upstarts and charlatans give themselves.The upstarts and charlatans may make some money, eat and drink like gluttons, praised by his psychophants for a few crumbs of bread day in and day out, buy vast tracts of land and build bungalows and share dias with ruling politicians. But they have and will never have a place in people''s hearts. Bharathi was the only poet who has a place in the hearts of the Tamil speaking people.
It is not unlikey that intellectuals will have their own judgements and preferences. Some of them like some living or dead literateurs for their own reasons. And these reason may be parochial and even caste oriented. But it is a diiferent thing to reach the hearts of people overcoming obstacles including caste, class and nationality. Subramanya Bharatthi was one such personality.
Bharathi was not only a great poet. He was a truly great journalist who wrote fearlessly. Of
course he was never an adventurist. He knew tact. In his parlance ''tact'' does not mean opportunistic compromises with the oppressors or people. Nevertheless, he faced persecutions of all sorts, direct and indirect. The wealthy reactionaries never allowed him to have a secure life. He had to fight for survival. He died early when he was hardly forty.
Bharathi fought for the emancipation of women. Of course there are some other figures in Tamil Nadu who are associated with women''s emancipation. But they belong to a later period and they come nowhere near Bharathi''s contribution in this field. Moreover, their thinking suffers from serious limitations. It does not mean that others were not sincere. But sincerity without correct thinking is more harmful than insincerity itself.
More, Bharathi''s prose
writings in his journals which he edited are more important writings than his poems. They are politcal and general essays, short stroies and even English writings. It will be a surprise for any one if one comes to know that Bharathi was a great satirist. In this, only Jonathan Swift ( the great Irishman and English writer of ''Gullivers'' Travels'' fame) can be compared with him. It is a pity that the Tamil diaspora is ignorant of his prose works. They are available in the National Library at Kolkata. No one, including the governments, seem to be intererested in publishing them. Of course Bharathi''s descendents are trying to do something about it. But their reach is not much.
The Tamils will be richer if they give more attention to Subramanya Bharathi. As a people they will become greater by learning from him. They will be poorer without him.
SATHYA