ABSTRACT
The history of
freedom struggle narrated with the heroic deeds of great men with little
reference about prominent women fighters born with silver spoon or belongs to
ruling community or rich academic background.
Thousands of women freedoms fighter’s contribution to India were ignored
or insignificant in the history of Tamil Nadu during the Indian National
Movement. These unsung heroines deed
should be included to fill the unsung history of Tamil Nadu to regain its glory
in the past. Many women participants who
were took active participation without any fear to face the bullet with dare
while fought for the freedom of India.
This research focused on spy women whose contribution to national
freedom from Tamil Nadu. The entire history of the freedom movement is
replete with the saga of bravery, sacrifice, military intelligence wing of the
Indian National Army and political sagacity of not only great women of the
country. Many thousands of women
directly or indirectly support freedom struggle by providing their wealth and
demanding justice and led many agitations by raise their fist and take to the
streets demanding freedom from British. Hence,
remember unsung heroines of each village should bring in the lime light of
writing real history of Tamil Nadu. India
finally got its hard-won independence; the courage and contributions of many
little-known freedom fighters have faded away from public memory. Many heroines, who walked shoulder to
shoulder with the men during trying times, still remain in the shadows, their
faces forgotten and their bravery unsung.
A few among them were Palayanoor Irrulayei or Addappakari Irrulayei,
Kottai Priya Nangai Nachi were efficient spy under Sivagangai Queen
Velunachiaar. The efficient spy system
helped her to retain her kingdom from British and won the title she is the only
Indian Queen won the British and ruled for more than 15 years. Another
remarkable spy was Saraswathi Rajamani who served in INA and work for the
establishment of free government in Burma by Nethaji. One such unacknowledged heroine is a woman
few Indians know about, a woman who live a life of intrigue and danger to help
her nation fight colonial rule.
Saraswathi Rajamani was not interested in Gandhiji’s thought of Ahimsa.
Whereas she was deeply impressed with Subhash Chandra Bose’s fiery speech and
removed all her expensive gold and diamond jewelry and donated it to the Indian
National Movement and both inspired each other.
Ultimately INA got a Saraswathi, a bold spy with four of her friends as
spies in INA’s intelligence wing.
However, the researcher can’t find the names of her friends joined in
INA. Further, this research concentrate
to identify unsung heroines of Tamil Nadu, woman whose exceptional bravery and
intelligence deserves to be recognized and respected by everyone and documented
to fill the gap in rewriting history of Tamil Nadu. Genetically, Tamil women spy are so brave
enough to free India from the British.
So, it is necessary to record their heroic deeds in Indian History and
familiarize their contribution to freedom struggle of India in general and
Tamil Nadu in particular and respect them by recorded their role in
History.
INTRODUCTION
The
history of freedom struggle narrated with the heroic deeds of great men with
little reference about prominent women fighters born with silver spoon or
belongs to ruling community or rich academic background. Thousands of women freedoms fighter’s
contribution to India were ignored or insignificant in the history of Tamil
Nadu during the Indian National Movement.
These unsung heroines deed should be included to fill the unsung history
of Tamil Nadu to regain its glory in the past.
Many women participants who were took active participation without any
fear to face the bullet with dare while fought for the freedom of India. This research focused on spy women whose
contribution to national freedom from Tamil Nadu.
The entire history of the freedom movement
is replete with the saga of bravery, sacrifice, military intelligence wing of
the Indian National Army and political sagacity of not only great women of the
country. Many prominent women played a
vital leading role in the Indian Freedom Movement. Many thousands of women
directly or indirectly support freedom struggle by providing their wealth and
demanding justice and led many agitations by raise their fist and take to the
streets demanding freedom from British.
When I was searched for women participants from Southern India, the
researcher has not found not exceeding ten freedom fighters in the history of
Tamil Nadu. Moreover, When Subhash
Chandra Bose made a call for joining INA, many young women sent their spouse
for fought for Indian freedom by joining INA.
One among them was Mrs.Shunmugaththai, who was the researcher’s own aunty. As a young uneducated women with 2 kids not
attain the age of 2 years, she was ready
to respond another call of her caste
leader Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar and prepared her mind and soul to send her
spouse to join INA. After He joined INA,
he took a group photos and sent to family members along with a letter worth
mentioning that INA is going to leave the country and marching towards Burma,
If I am alive I will back to home and see you all after World War II, otherwise
accept that I was no more and I sacrificed my life for India. As per his
letter, Unfortunately, he didn’t return home after World War II. The only
evidence that her husband in INA was some black and white photos with my father
Mr. M. Jesudoss, took before leaving
India, Later which was the only evidence and main source of her to claim meager
freedom fighter’s family Pension. In the meantime, the whole burden left
on My father M. Jesudoss’s shoulder as
an elder boy of the family. As soon as
he has completed III Form, and he joined British Force as a trainee in Madras
Boys Regiment, fortunately, by the end of
his training period World War II came to an end. Fate played vital role, sister’s husband in
INA and M.Jesudoss in British during
Indian Freedom Struggle. When My
father Jesudoss stood for roll call, one British official came and asked
him that anyone of your relative in INA,
as a young innocent boy answered that yes, my sister’s husband Packiasamy
Pandian, and his uncle Sevaththappandian by hearing the name, that British official
give a Great Salute to my father and described his uncle’s heroic deed as a forceful
officer in INA. After three long years hard military training he was deputed as a draws man in the Department of
Engineering, he earn Rs. 82/- as his salary which is almost equal to British
Official said by Mr. Jesudoss. When the
two nation theory announced all religious people fought against each other, he
was deputed as a wireless operator on the day of implementing two nation theories
and declared India’s Independence. He
often recollected that I never forgot the day because everyone in Lahore to
Rawalpindi, Muslims move from India to Pakistan and Hindus from Pakistan to
India, migrants suffered with great grieve and sorrow due to loss of men and
material and a man was killed and through him on railway station nakedly with
wounds. I can’t forget that scene in my
life he said. Further, he added that
untold miseries happed on the day, all houses kept two kind of water pot with
religious mark on it in Punjab. When he
described to me, I don’t think that these were all the source material to write
history due to my ignorance. Even, he
don’t keep his shooting medal, he melted it for anklet making for his sister’s
daughter. We never think the value of
the medals who won for his service. At
present, World War Medal and Independence Medal in the same cover that the
British officials send to his native address and preserve it as old
article. On the day of declaration of
India’s Independence, he and truck driver alone went to Peshawar to bring back
Indian Army Official safely to India within a day. At
that juncture, when the truck enter into India – Pakistan Border, one young
Punjabi flat over Gelatins bombs hide underneath and saved his truck and army
official safely. Often, he remained
this incident and said that the martyrdom Punjabi’s wife got only a
medal and very meager family pension; it’s no way equal to his sacrifice. Today
I am lived because of his sacrifice, otherwise I was no more on the day itself.
Punjabi is well known for patriots and martyrdom. In such a way many lakhs of Indians lost
their life, happiness and think only about nation and ready for sacrifice his
soul for Nation building. Further
researcher’s father narrated his experience in army and His sister’s husband
never turn back home. Ultimately,
researcher’s aunty Mrs, Shunmugathai of GurukkalPatti, accepted the reality
that her husband was martyrdom for India and wore white saree as a symbol of
widowhood and other auspicious mark of removing tilak and flowers at the age of
16 years old. Like her thousands of
Indian uneducated ladies lost their husband by sending them to INA. Now – a -days, the women who were lost their
husband in INA received meager pension as recognized their service for the nation. Here,
the sacrifice of a woman was not even respected by their own family and social taboo prevent them to access public
areas, which was see them as inauspicious symbols, throughout their life due to
widowhood, which is increasing their
mental agony of the affected woman. These pitiable women’s sacrifice their life
and children lost their father, sister lost their brother, parents lost their
son and total devastation of their
absence in the family. Lakhs of such
women were not inclusive in writing history of Tamil Nadu.
The direct
participants of Indian Freedom struggle, starts with the First Victorious Tamil
Queen Valu Naachiaar, who has formed the first women force and spy system. She is the forerunner of women spy Saraswathi
Rajamani, who was a veteran of the Indian National Army (INA). She is well
known for her work in the military intelligence wing of the army.
OBJECTIVES
This research
helps the historians to understand the role of women in freedom struggle in
India. To high light the contribution of
woman hailed from Tamil Nadu in India’s freedom struggle.To know the complete
history of women participants as spy during the freedom struggle. Enable the
readers to understand the pioneer of spy system in Tamil Kingdom. To know about
Tamil Queen’s Marathi padai and efficient women spy system to retain Sivagangai
samasthanam. To understand that, the sacrifice of women freedom fighters to
attain Independence. The readers enable to appreciate the role of Saraswathi
Rajamani who was worked as an efficient spy in INA. To enable the historians to appreciate women
who went through extraordinary struggles to make the dream of Independence a
reality. To stir the patriotic fervor among the public by highlighting the role
of women in Indian freedom struggle and made them as a courageous
woman.Rajamani was born in Rangoon, Burma (present day Myanmar) in 1927. Her
forefathers were belong to Thanjavur and settled in Burma. Her father owned a gold mine and was one of
the richest Indians in Rangoon.Her
family was a staunch supporter of the Indian Freedom Movement and also
financially supported Indian National Movement.
SOURCES
This research was based on Primary Sources
gathered directly from Mr. J. Jesudoss
of Moovirundali Village, and Mr.
ChinnaDurai of Gurukkal Patti, Sankaranynarkoil Taluk, Tirunelveli district,
Military Correspondence and News Papers Special Correspondence Report, You Tube
documentary acted by Rajamani and available net sources.
Fore runner of
Women Force - Marathi Padai or Udaiyal
Padai:
Marathi Padai or Udaiyal padai was formed by Queen
Velu Nachiaar, she herself as a trainer for that force. When she and her
daughter Vellachi Nachiaar accompanied
by the loyal servants narrowly escaped near Kalayarkoil (at Ariyakkurichi
Ayyanar Koil) which was known only by the herd girl Udaiyal, the royal
family was chased by Benjour and made an equiry with Udaiyal. But she refused
to answer to the cruel British force. Immediately, he ordered his soldiers to
slaughter the Young Martyr Udaiyal in the same place. In order to honour her, queen Velu Nachiaar
named her force as udaiyal padai. moreover, she erected veera kal, where
she sacrificed her life for the country and offered her diomand sacred tie
as first offering of the vettuidaiyal kaliamman temple at Ariyakkurichi and
granted many villages for performing daily pooja. Still
people of that area worshipped her as Goddess Udaiyal (or) Vettudaiyal
Kaliamman. It shows her humanity, gratitude, and honour the Martyr of
Sivaganga kingdom.
Achievements of Udaiyal Padai:
Udaiyal Padai was founded by Velu Nachiaar, and
herself trained them regularly. Captain Quili
and Adappakari9 Irrulayei, Kottai Priya Nangai Nachi were
important members of that force. They followed the method of guerrilla
warfare10 to attack their enemies.
In 1780, 5th Iypasi
[seventh month of Tamil month order] on Friday , Udaiyal Padai started
their
attempt to restore Sivaganga. The previous day of Vijayadasamy, Velu
Nachiaar made a plot against the British.
On that day, women were allowed to worship Goddess Rajarajeshwari, which
is located inside the Sivaganga Palace. British on the other hand made a plot
against the people. But fortunately, Captain Quili came to know the plot
against them just few minutes earlier. Within the fraction of the moment, she
decided to save the Queen and restore Sivaganga by sacrificed her life and act
as such. She burnt herself and acted as
HUMAN BOMB to destroy the arsenals kept inside the temple. It was unexpected to the British force, which
led them inactive on the moment. The British soldiers were ravaged by Udaiyal
padai, under Velu Nachiaar, who came out into the front and gallantly played
the role of a defender and restore Sivaganga, with the help of Udaiyal Padai.
FORERUNNER
OF WOMEN SPY IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
Sivaganga Queen Velu Naachiaar had efficient spy system. She
appointed women and males [Adiveerarama thevar,
PonnambalamPillai] as spy. In order to
fulfill the desire of Palaiyanoor
Irrulayei, she ordered to built Chiththi Vinayaka Temple at Sivaganga. When it was constructed, Irullayei
stayed there for collecting information about the activities of Chinna Marudhu.
Still we can see the temple infront of the Palace, inscription dated 27th Aavani
[5th month of Tamil Month order]1795. The spy
women Irrulayei was substituted by Kottai Priya Nangai Nachi. She was
accompanied to Velu Nachiaar till her last breath on 23rd December
1796 Friday Morning at Virupakkchi palace.15 Last cremation
done by Sivagangai Vengai Peria Udaiya Thevar, Son-in-law of The First Tamil
Martyr Queen Velu Nachiaar. The entire
Marava country Kings assembled at Sivaganga and honoured the Great Mother
and patriot of Sivaganga and buried at the northern side of Sivaganga
Palace.
HISTORIC
INCIDENT CHANGED RAJAMANI’S LIFE
Another Tamil woman spy Rajamani's life
changed when she was barely 10 years old. When, Mahatma Gandhi visited their
palatial home in Rangoon, the entire family played host to the Mahatma,while
Rajamani was practicing rifle shooting in their garden. Family members bought
her from Garder, Gandhiji asked her why
she needed a gun. "To shoot down the Britishers of course," replied
the young girl.Gandhiji told her that satyagraha was the only way
to gain freedom. She said no, I want to shoot them because the Britishers loot
us so shot down them to get freedom of
India.
DONAR
OF INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY LIVES IN PENURY
At the age of
83, SaraswathyRajamani lives in a one-room portion in a dilapidated house
opposite the Royapettah police station, where several photographs of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose adorn the cramped room's walls. In one corner is an old sewing machine, which
she used for stitching cloth she collected from tailoring shop and used waste
cloth, she stitched and handed over to the needy or to the orphan homes. On a
small narrow table is a radio — her only companion — gifted to her by a friend
in the early 1960s. It is obvious, Ms. Rajamani is struggling to meet both ends
meet. Not surprising, as she lives off the freedom fighters pension given by
the Government.
A
veteran of the Indian National Army (INA), Rajamani is too proud to admit that
she lives in penury. The tragedy is that she was born in a rich gold miner's
family that was a staunch supporter of the Indian freedom movement, in Rangoon
in Burma (now Myanmar) and it gave all their wealth for the freedom struggle. C.M. Santhanam, another INA member, who even now calls on Rajamani regularly,
says that some of the members had petitioned successive governments to allot a
small flat for the old lady, but to no avail.
CONTRIBUTION
OF SARASWATHY IN INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY
Netaji's visit to Rangoon at the height of the
World War II to collect funds for the INA and recruit volunteers made a lasting
impact on her. As a 16-year-old young girl, inspired by Nethaji Subhash Chandra
Bose’s fiery speech at Rangoon, she donated all her gold and diamond jewelry to
the INA.Nethaji Realizing that the young girl might have donated the jewelry
innocently, Nethaji enquired about the
donor and visited her house to return it. However, Rajamani was adamant and
said that all jewels belongs to her and not to my father, so Rajamaniasked
Nethaji to uses it for the army. Nethaji
was highly impressed by her determination, he christened her Saraswathi. At this juncture,Sheexpressed
her desire to join the INA. Netaji said that Lakshmi [wealth] can comes but Saraswatithat need of an hour for INA
and recruited her in the
militaryintelligence wing and named her “Saraswathy.”
APPOINTED
AS SPY
In 1942, Rajamani was recruited to the
Rani of Jhansi regiment of the INA and was part of the army’s military
intelligence wing. Rajamani says that
she and four other girls in the unit masqueraded as men for almost two years to
gather intelligence on British agents.While posing as a boy, her name was Mani. As covert agents behind enemy
lines, they were responsible for intercepting government orders and military
intelligence from the British officers and handing these over to INA. Once, one of her colleagues was caught by
the British troops.
To rescue her, Rajamani infiltrated the
British camp dressed as a dancer. She drugged the British officers who were
in-charge and freed her colleague. Ms. Saraswathi, during her four-year stint
in the INA from 1942, played an active part in operations in the Indo-Burma
theatre of war. A member of the
intelligence wing, she was tasked with getting vital information from behind
enemy lines at great personal risk.
Recalling her experiences in the Eastern sector
with pride and patriotic fervor, Ms. SarawathiRajamani said among the
unforgettable episodes of those years was the successful rescue of a fellow INA
spy abducted by the British troops.
Along with some of her colleagues, they had secured their comrade's
release after tranquilising the British unit. However, while fleeing from the
enemy camp, she was shot and wounded. While they were escaping, Rajamani was shot
on the right leg by a British guard but she still managed to avoid
capture. Her work in the army ended when
Netaji disbanded the INA after World War II.For four years from 1942, when she
was recruited into the Rani of Jhansi regiment in Burma where she was born and
raised, Saraswathi was a member of the INA’s intelligence wing and joined operations
in the Indo-Burma theatre of war.
BULLET
WOUND
She recalls how one of the girls who
was caught by the British, she dressed herself as a dancing girl, drugged the
officers and rescued her colleague. She even suffered a bullet wound in her right
leg. Still bleeding as she ran, Rajamani and her friend climbed up a tree,
where they camped for 3 days while the British carried out their search
operation. The bullet wound left her
with a permanent limp, but Rajamani was proud of it. She was given a medal by the Japanese Emperor
himself, along with the rank of Lieutenant in INA’s Rani of Jhansi
Brigade.
RETURNED
TO TAMIL NADU & SETTLED IN CHENNAI
When the INA was
disbanded after the British won the war, Saraswathy of Rani of Jhansi
Regiment and the other INA members
returned to India on Netaji's instructions. After World War II, Rajamani’s
family gave away all their wealth, including the gold mine, and returned to
India. In 2005, a newspaper reported that Saraswathi Rajamani was living in Chennai
and although sustained by freedom fighters pension, she was struggling to make
both ends meet.
PRECIOUS
POSSESSIONS OF THE DONOR OF INA
Eighty-three-year-old Saraswathi proudly
carries a bullet wound ? a reminder of her time in the INA. The wound, a couple of certificates and at
least 10 portraits of Netaji that hang from the walls of a dingy tiled-roof
room that she calls home are among her most precious possessions. So are the INA khakis and cap that she donned
before limping to Jayalalithaa’s secretariat to receive a dole.
AN
APPEAL TO TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT21
About 60 years
later, ailing, alone and with no money, Saraswathi turned to the Tamil Nadu
Government for help. Ms. SarawathiRajamani has appealed to the Chief Minister
to allot the flat in Royapettah, an area familiar to her, instead of Anna
Nagar. Further she stated that “Four times, I have suffered heart attacks and I
do not know how long I can go on.” In a
pre-election year, Jayalalithaa was quick to respond. When Chief Minister Jayalalithaa
invited Indian National Army (INA) veteran SaraswathyRajamanito the
Secretariat, she wanted to give her financial assistance and a home to call her
own.
MUCH
GIVER AS A RECIPIENT
At the Secretariat, the 83-year-old Ms.
Saraswathy had something to present to the Chief Minister: a memento with a
portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose inscribed on it. Clad in INA khaki, Ms. Saraswathi greeted the
Chief Minister with a salute and a "Jai Hind!" Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Ms.
Jayalalithaa handed over a cheque for Rs
5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund and the Keys of a Tamil
Nadu Housing Board flat where she can live free of rent. The money will be deposited with the Tamil
Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation, out of which
Saraswathi can draw a monthly interest of Rs 2,917 all her life. During
the devastation tsunami of 2006, she also donated her meagre monthly pensionas a freedom fighter to relief fund to Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Rajamani answer
to press people that “I am not able to speak much these days,” said Saraswathi
alias Rajamani, whose parents belonged to Thanjavur. But she recalled with
pride the rescue of a “fellow INA spy” abducted by British troops. It was
“after tranquillising that British unit, we secured our comrade’s release,” she
says. She was shot at and wounded as she fled the enemy camp.
Overwhelmed with
joy, the INA veteran thanked Ms. Jayalalithaa: "I am immensely pleased as
the Chief Minister has quickly responded to my appeal for assistance. I wish
her a long life so that she will continue to extend a helping hand to the poor
and the needy." Saraswathi, who was
one of about 60 INA veterans in the city, only three of whom are women. “The
chief minister told me she would also arrange for medical assistance for me,
but I politely replied that it may not be necessary.”
CONTRIBUION
TO NATIONAL MUSEUM
She has donated
insignia to the INA gallery of the Netaji Subhash Birthplace National Museum in
Cuttack, Odisha.Netaji Subhash Birthplace National Museum (NSBNM) in Cuttack
would have an exclusive gallery to display the Indian National Army (INA)
memorabilia, including photos, portraits and regalia of its soldiers.
