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ANTI-SECOND WORLD WAR PROTEST IN SALEM REGION – A SCRUTINY
P. SINGARAM Ph.D – Research Scholar (Full Time) Department of History, Annamalai University Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India
Abstract:
The Second World War started in 1939 which dragged Indians into it. As it was bilaterally decided the Indian National Congress decided to oppose India’s involvement in the war. As it was war period Gandhi decided to limit the participation of the masses who in turn propagate against the war efforts of British. Opposing the war efforts of the British speeches, rallies and door to door propaganda were organized across the country including Salem region in Tamil Nadu. During 1940 – 1941 the region was politically activated through the participation was limited. The Madras Presidency government reacted against the individual based protests and it was trying to suppress the political sentiments of the people of the region.
Keywords: Second World War, Indian National Congress, Gandhi, Launching of Satyagraha, Satyagraha Committees, Anti-war speeches, rallies, etc., British’s attempt of counter the Satyagraha.
In 1939, the Second World War began. Lord Linlinthgow, the then Governor General of India proclaimed India's involvement in the war without the consent of the Indian leaders. As a mark of protest, the Indian National Congress announced the Individual Satyagraha (individual based civil resistance movement) in 1940. This was to propagate against rendering any help to the British in connection with the Second World War. As the period was critical, Gandhi did not encourage mass participation, but wished only for the participation of a few selected individuals. The Individual Satyagraha spread throughout India and also gained momentum in Salem region.
In September 1940, the All India Congress Committee decided to launch a Satyagraha in a limited base to oppose the British government’s decision of involving India into the Second World War and to insist the rights of Indians to the freedom of speech. On 17 October 1940, Vinoba Bhave launched the Individual Satyagraha by objecting the Second Workd War efforts and claiming individuals’ right to freedom of speech1. This marked for the initiation of the satyagraha which had its repercussion all over the country including the Salem region.
By September 1940, the Congress leaders in Salem region, endeavored much for the publicity as well as formation of the Individual Satyagraha committees. The Salem District Congress Committee instructed the Taluk, Town and Village Congress Committees to prepare lists of satyagrahis.2 The Committee instructed that those who were aspiring to take part in the
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individual satyagraha must get prior permission from the Indian National Congress. Further, it advertised that Gandhi was very serious the selection process must be very prompt and that only eligible individuals capable of offering satyagraha must be only in the list.3
The District Congress Committee, Salem, personally contacted local leaders as well-as heads of the Village, Town and Taluk Congress Committees and exhorted them to prepare the lists of satyagrahis to offer satyagraha. Leading Congress men of the time C. Rjagopalachari, Arumuga Mudaliar of Gugai, Natesa Chettiar of Attur, Nagaraja Iyengar of Rasipuram, Ragunatha Chettiar of Illampillai, Perumal Chettiar of Kumarapalayam and the others strained much for mobilizing mass support as well as finalizing the list of individuals. Congressmen had been active in forming themselves into Satyagraha Committees, in collecting signature to the pledge, and in holding meetings to popularize the idea of a civil disobedience movement and to encourage volunteers. Orthodox Congress organizations had shown little enthusiasm. Congress Committee continued to translate themselves into Satyagraha Committees. The response to signing the pledge was encouraging and were ever poor the extension of time granted. One Taluk Committtee had to dissolve as only one member was willing to take the pledge. The number of Committees of which all the members have signed must be very small. The Congress continued to origanizing training camps and collect volunteers.4
For the purpose they had organized meetings, processions and door-to-door propaganda. The District Congress Committee prepared a list containing about 700 satyagrahis who were capable of offering satyagraha. The finalized was sent to Congress high command for approval.5
C. Rajagopalachari, member of the Congress working Committee and former Prime Minister of the Madras Presidency had the privilege of offering satyagraha at first.6 He offered satyagraha at Salem on 8 November, 1940, by expressing his anger against the British's war efforts. Extract of the speech is given below:
"As the British is waging war essentially for its own imperialist ends and for the preservation and strengthening of its own empire, we the Indians never render the British either men or money."7
C. Rajagopalachari was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment under the Defence of India Rules.8 Followed by C. Rajagopalachari, prominent land owing and commercial classes were arrested. Nachiyappa Gounder of Salem was arrested for distributing anti-war pamphlets.9 On 15 November, S. R. Krishnan, a native of Namakkal and journalist by profession offered satyagraha at Namakkal town by speaking against British's Second World War efforts.10 While speaking he asked the people not to supply men or money to the British. He was arrested and imprisoned at Madras jail.11 Narasimha Raju, hailed from Vallapadi in near Salem informing about his satyagraha to the local police and he delivered an anti-war speech on 20 November, 1940. He said that no men and money should be given to the British Government in connection with the Second World War. He was arrested and put in 'c' class in Salem jail. He owned a printing press
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and published weekly journal called Nagara Jothi. He critisised the attitude of the British and the Munich Agreement. He had possessed copies of Andaman Seraiveerar V.D. Sarvakar and Police Raj Under Emergency Ordinance. The police also recovered from him a copy of cyclostyled English Pamphlet Foursquare against War issued by All India Congress Socialist Party.12
All walks of people of Salem supported the satyagraha. Natesan, Municiple Chairman of Namakkal proposed to offer Individual Satyagraha and he had already intimated the same to the local police as well as to the public by beating the drum. On 5 December, 1940, when he was going to deliver an anti- war speech he was arrested.13 The Indian Express, a daily dated 7 December, 1940 says “Satyagrahi Natesan was arrested while he was in discussion with his friends about his satvagraha plan”.14 Selakan, an agriculturalist of Thottikulam offered satvagraha. He was arrested and imprisoned at Salem jail. One Lingam who belonged to the same village also delivered a anti-war speech and he was convicted.15
E.V.Ramaswami Naicker remarked that the Justice Party and the Muslim League would oppose the Individual Satyagraha and supported the British and pointed out that the final victory would go to the British.16
On 25 December 1940, P. Subbrayan and his wife Radhabhai Subbrayan of Salem delivered an anti-war speech. They were garlanded and introduced to the public by the President of Salem Congress Committee. Meanwhile, the police arrested and transferred them immediately to the local police station. This was the first arrest of a woman in connection with the Individual Satyagraha. The public became wild and indulged in violence. They thronged in front of the police station demanding her release. However, she was convicted for six months at Alipuram jail.17
During the last week of December a large number of individuals offered satyagraha including Chinnaswamy of Rasipurm, Perisawamy of Vennandur, Narasimharaju of Seerapalli and Natesa Chettiar of Mallur delivered an anti - war speech. They said that the public would not render any support to British's war efforts. They all were arrested and sent to Madras, Salem, and Coimbatore jails.18
The movement was widespread and vigorous in Thiruchengode. Leading Congressmen of the region, such as Venkatachala Reddiar, and Hanumanth Rao of Pallipalayam, delivered anti- war speeches. They were arrested and convicted. On 25 December, in Attur, many Congress people were arrested for their anti-war activities. The prominent Congress men like Periasamy of Valliyur, Krishnan of Attur, N. Gopalan of Pudupet and Ramasamy of Pethanayakanpalayam, visited nearby villages and exhorted the villagers not to send their male members of the family to the British military. Police interrupted and arrested them.19 Anti-war speeches were delivered and anti-war pamphlets were issued by Ayya Perumal Mudali and Kandaswami Mudali.20
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P. Subbarayan, zamindar of Kumaramangalam and Minister of Law and president of board of control of cricket was arrested. His son Mohan Kumaramangalam commended considerable influence among the students and continuously carried on anti-war propaganda.21
Arumugham Mudali, another anti-war speaker formed a committee to spread the movement. He was assisted by Kandaswami Mudali who was convicted and sentenced to eighteen months rigorous imprisonment. He was later released by the Government under section 562 Criminal Procedure Code when he executed a bond for rupees 200.22 Another prominent figure was Kannuswami, Secretary of the Town Individual Satyagraha Committee. Under his leadership S.R.Krishnan, Tailor Chinnaswami, Ponnuswamy Pandaram and Natarajan organised demonstrations against the British.23
Many political leaders who participated in the individual satyagraha movement and union leaders were arrested and placed under imprisonment. Further the treatment of the prisoners by the government was so cruel which led to direct confrontation of the Congress people with the government. Congress people were not allowed to correspond on political subjects. The Madras Presidency Government imposed restrictions on people assembling in public place. 24 But on the other side the people showed a sense of solidarity by unanimously passing resolutions demanding fair treatment of political prisoners and claiming right to speech. 25
To give wider publicity pamphlets were issued which were cyclostyled secretly at Jawahar Sangam. These pamphlets dealt mainly with appeal to the public to purchase swadeshi goods and banned. The pamphlets entitled “Economic Effects of the War”, “The Proletarian Path” and “Congress Forward Bloc”, were widely distributed Anti war posters were sized from the house of M.Muthu of Rasipuram and he was to imprisoned under the Defence of India Rule.26
The individual satyagraha continued in 1941. In January 1941 D.P.Ratnavelu of Salem offered Satyagraha and he was imprisoned. Besides N.Gopalan, Hanumantha Rao, P.Nalla Perumal Chettiar and S.S.V.Govinda Swami Chettiar were arrested.27 On 13 January 1941, a group of Women rallyed in the main streets of the Salem town and exhorted the public not to support the British.28 By the second week of February 1941, S.Ramaswmi of Ammapet distributed anti-war notices with his friends. He was not arrested.29
On 18 March 1941, Salem Satyagraha Committee advised the un-arrested satyagrahis would apt for March to Delhi. As per the direction many were preparing themselves to March towards Delhi.30 On 25 March 1941, a number of satyagrahis were arrested for preaching anti- British messages. They included N.Gopalan of Pudupet, Venkatachala Reddiar of Pallipalayam, and Ramasamy of Ammapet. A large number of Congress volunteers both in towns and villages also started anti-war marches. It was estimated that there were more than thirty Congressmen who had been arrested and convicted in a short period of time, March 1941. At Erode three placards containing appeals to the police to relinquish their posts were hung in the
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streets.31 On 2 April 1941, Subramaniyan, the then M.L.A offered satyagraha at Bazzar Street in Salem Town. He was arrested and sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment. In May 1941, Student Union Salem mobilized support against Second World War restrictions. 32
The unarrested satyagrahis carried on their march to Delhi by carrying on anti-war propaganda on the way. S.R. Krishnan, Tailor Chinnaswami and others were arrested at Madras on their way to Delhi. Similar marches were started from various region. But it was a fact that many felt hard to March a long distance during the war period.33 Under this situation Gandhi invited the people to carry on house to house, man to man propaganda in the villages instead of long marches to Delhi.34
On 3 December 1941, the Viceroy announced the release of all the Satyagrahis. At this juncture many of the satyagrahis were released.35 Gandhi advised the released Congressmen not to offer satyagraha again until clear instructions from the Congress Working Committee. Consequently the satyagraha lost its vigour all over the country including Salem region. The the Congressmen of Salem region did not offer satyagraha or indulge in any other political protests. The above said facts reveal that the people of Salem region exhibited courage and patriotism during the time of the Individual Satyagraha of 1940-41. Taking cue from this, each and every citizen of India wrought against the present day evils such as economic inequality, gender injustice, etc., for making India much stronger and secure.
Endnotes:
1. R.C. Majumudar (ed) Struggle for Freedom: The History and Culture of Indian of the Indian People, Vol.XI (Bombay: Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, 1980), p.624. 2. Annual Report of the Salem District Congress Committee, 1940, p.6. 3. Ibid. 4. Fortnightly Report, October 1940. 5. Report of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, April 28, 1941 and Indian Express, 15 November 1940. 6. The Hindu, 10 November 1940. 7. The Indian Express, 12 November 1940. 8. Ibid. 9. Rangaswamy Parthasarathy, Hundred Years of the Hindu, (Madras: The Hindu Publication, 1978), p.547. 10. Under Secretary’s Secret Safe File, 483/1940. 11. The Mail, 22 November 1940. 12. G.O. No. 532/1 Public (Confidential) Department of Government of Madras Presidency, 1941. 13. The Indian Express, 7 December 1940. 14. Ibid. 15. Individual Satyagraha, Pamphlet, 15, December 1940.
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16. The Mail, 28 December 1940. 17. The Indian Express, 20 December, 1941 and Indian Express, 13 February 1941. 18. Under Secretary’s Secret Safe File, 643/2, 1941. 19. Ibid. 20. Ibid. 21. History of Freedom Movement, Bundle No. 73, pp.121-22. 22. Fortnightly Reports First and Second Half of November 1940. 23. Ibid. 24. G.O. No. 642/A Public (Confidential) Department of Government of Madras Presidency, 1941. 25. Ibid. 26. G.O. No. 532/A Public (Confidential) Department of Government of Madras Presidency, 1941. 27. Report of Individual Satyagraha Committee Salem District, 1940-41. 28. Fortnightly Report, First half January, 1941. And Leaf let, Women’s march, January 1941. 29. Pamphlet, No Victory to Britain, February 1941. 30. The Hindu, 20 March 1941. 31. The Mail, 25 March 1941. 32. Fortnightly Report, First half April, 1941. 33. Ibid. 34. M.P.Sivagnanam, Tamil Nadu in the Indian Freedom Struggle, Vol.II (Madras: Poongodi Pathipagam, 1979), p.406. 35. The Statesman, 2 Januray 1942.
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