New Delhi, September 05 (H.S.): Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Saturday paid tribute to freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

In a post on X, the Vice President wrote, “On the birth anniversary of freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, I pay my respectful homage to this great patriot, whose courage, sacrifice and unwavering dedication to the nation continue to inspire us all. Fondly remembered as Kappalottiya Tamizhan (the Tamil helmsman), he gave up a life of comfort to serve the nation. Through the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, he challenged British commercial dominance and gave a powerful impetus to the spirit of Swadeshi and self-reliance. He endured imprisonment and severe hardships with extraordinary fortitude in the cause of India’s freedom. Let us honour his memory by resolving to build a strong, prosperous, developed and self-reliant India.”

It is noteworthy that Chidambaram Pillai, born on September 5, 1872, in Ottapidaram in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, was not only a freedom fighter but also a lawyer, industrialist and Tamil scholar. In 1906, he founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company to challenge the commercial monopoly of British companies. He launched the first indigenous Indian shipping service between Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) and Colombo.

In 1908, Chidambaram Pillai mobilised workers of the Coral Mill in Tuticorin and led a historic strike. Angered by his Swadeshi and nationalist activities, the British government arrested him on charges of sedition and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment. In jail, he was subjected to brutal treatment and made to work at an oil press like a bullock, earning him the title “Chekkilutta Semmal,” referring to his suffering at the oil press.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar