Subramania Bharati (1882-1921), whose birth anniversary was celebrated on December 11, belongs to the category of literary figures who achieved greater fame posthumously. Though he died quite young, Bharati had, by then, spent over 15 highly creative years. This coincided with a crucial phase in the history of the nationalist movement – from the period of appealing, through petitions, to the British rulers’ sense of justice, to that of the freedom struggle beginning to blossom into a mass movement under the helm of Mahatma Gandhi.
Bharati’s body of work covered every genre in prose and verse, mostly in Tamil. In the field of prose poetry, he drew inspiration from Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Like the great figure from Bengal, Bharati was a versatile personality – a poet, a writer, a journalist, a distinguished musicologist, a polyglot, a strong advocate of women’s rights, and a patriot. Having joined the freedom struggle during the pre-Gandhi era, Bharati regarded Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920) as his political mentor. He continues to be remembered for his contribution to the renaissance of Tamil literature.
Subramania Bharati with his family | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Seizure of books
