Poet ‘Pavender’ Bharathidasan, whose 125th birth anniversary was celebrated here, is considered to be one the greatest sons of the soil in Puducherry.
A revolutionary, social reformer and path breaking poet, he stirred emotions and a sense of self-respect among Tamils though his writings. The Puducherry Government conducted evening functions on two days -- Monday and Tuesday -- to commemorate the anniversary.
At the Gandhi Thidal, Chief Minister N.Rangasamy inaugurated the function in the presence of lovers of Bharathidasan’s poetry and Tamil scholars. Department of Art and Culture and the Thanjavur South Zone Cultural Centre jointly organised the programme.
Mr. Rangasamy said the poet Bharathidasan is even now considered as king of songs who brought laurels to Puducherry. His poetry carry strong social messages and has been subject of research by innumerable young scholars.
Recalling that Bharathidasan had sown the seeds of women’s rights and their education, the Chief Minister said the poet’s contribution to the society was invaluable.
Mr. Rangasamy also said the poet’s works should be brought out in musical form so as to make people retain them easily in their minds. He said government would extend all assistance to such endeavour.
Speaker V.Sabapathy, Welfare Minister P.Rajavelu, Local Administration Minister N.G.Pannirselvam, Education Minister T.Thiagarajan, Member of Parliament R.Radhakrishnan and Art and Culture Secretary A.Muthamma also spoke on the occasion.
The second day programme concluded with a poetry symposium and discourses
Bharathidasan whose real name Subburathinam was born to Kanakasabai and Lakshmi on April 29 in 1891.
Bharathidasan’s admiration for poet C.Subramania Bharathi prompted him to take the name of Bharathidasan meaning disciple of Bharathi. He was actively engaged in the freedom movement of Puducherry.
At age of 17, he became adept in Tamil grammar and literature and met the great poet Subramania Bharathi at the wedding of Venu Naickar. He became a teacher in government school at Niravi in Karaikal. He won in a case against French Government which jailed him for 15 months on a charge of treason. Having been inspired by Gandhi’s message, he also promoted the sale of khadi by carrying bundles of the cloth.
Though initially Bharathidasan composed devotional songs, later he joined the Self-Respect Movement of Periyar E.V.Ramasamy and wrote poems and drama to propagate the rationalist ideas of the great social reformer. He was the first poet who wrote on family planning. He also penned script, dialogue, songs for Tamil films.
Kudumba Vizhakku, Azhagin Sirrippu, Sera Thandavam and Irunda Veedu are his notable masterpieces. His poem ‘Tamil Vazhthu’ is being sung as prayer song at educational institutions. Bharathidasan won the Assembly election in Kasukadai constituency and became the Pro-tem Speaker. He died in Chennai on April 21, 1964.
