Chidambaram Pillai

Subject: History

Context: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has remembered freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his Jayanti.

Who was Chidambaram Pillai?

Popularly known by his initials, O.C. also known as Kappalottiya Tamizhanor “The Tamil Helmsman”, was an Indian freedom fighter and leader of the Indian National Congress.
VOC entered politics in 1905 following the partition of Bengal. Towards the end of 1905, VOC visited Madras and was drawn closer to the Swadeshi Movement initiated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai. VOC was drawn towards Ramakrishna Mission and came into contact with SubramaniaBharati and the Mandayam family.
In response to the British India Steam Navigation Company’s trade monopoly, Chidambaram started an Indian-owned shipping company. He registered the Swadeshi Shipping Company in October 1906.
Chidambaram Pillai established many institutions like Yuvanesh Prachar Sabha, Dharmasanga Nesavu Salai, National Godown, Madras Agro-Industrial Society ltd and Desabimana Sangam.
Even prior to Gandhiji’s Champaran Satyagraha, VOC took up the cause of the working class in Tamil Nadu, and thus he is a forerunner to Gandhiji in this respect.
In 1920, Chidambaram withdrew from the Indian National Congress, citing ideological differences with Mahatma Gandhi. He focused his efforts on establishing labor unions in Madras and writing.
He rejoined the Congress party in 1927 and presided over the third political conference held at Salem.
By 1935, he had written commentary on the first book of the Tirukkural (Book of Virtue) and was published under a different title.