Thiruvarur Viruttachala Kalyanasundaram(1883 – September 17, 1953), better known by his
Tamil initials Thiru. Vi Ka, was a Tamil scholar, essayist and activist. He is esteemed for
the strong humanism of his essays, the analytical depth of his commentaries on classical Tamil
literature and philosophy, and the clear, fluid style of his prose. His works, along
with those of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Maraimalai Adigal, and Arumuga Navalar are considered
to have defined the style of modern Tamil prose.
History Thiru Vi. Ka was born in the village of Thullam
in Chengalpet district, near Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 26
August 1883 in the Sozhiya Saiva Vellala community. He attended the Wesley College High School,
and also studied Tamil under Maraimalai Adigal and N. Kathiravel Pillai of Jaffna. He worked
briefly as a teacher, and in 1917 became an editorial assistant on Desabaktan, a nationalist
Tamil daily. Thiru Vi. Ka. was soon involved in various aspects obf the independence movement.
During this period, he became a strong campaigner for worker rights. In 1918, he became active
in the trade union movement as an associate of BP Wadia, and organised the first trade
unions in the south of India. Contribution to literature
In 1920, Thiru. Vi. Ka. started the a new Tamil weekly magazine, titled Navasakthi.
Navasakthi would be the vehicle for his thoughts for much of the rest of his life. Thiru Vi.
Ka. sought to make his magazine a beacon to the Tamil people. His writings reflected his
political and philosophical views. He published one of the first Tamil interpretations of
the thought of Mahatma Gandhi, which is still regarded as an important milestone in Gandhian
studies. He wrote a number of works on the religious and spiritual thought of Ramalinga
Swamigal, an influential Tamil Saivite philosopher-saint of the 19th century. He wrote commentaries
on a number of works of classical Tamil literature, which appeared as serials in Navasakthi.
Over the course of his writing career, Thiru Vi. Ka. published over fifty books. These
include Manitha Vazhkkaiyum Gandhiyadigalum, a study of the implications of Gandhi's thought
for human conduct. His Pennin perumai allatu valkait tunai nalam was one of the most read
books of that period. Also very influential, albeit at a more critical level, is his study
of the concept of Beauty in Hinduism, published as Murugan alladhu azaku(Lord Murugan or Beauty).
His writings reflect the internationalism characteristic of Indian intellectuals of
that period, a strong pride in Indian and Tamil culture, coupled with a strong belief
in the unity and universal kinship of all human thought.
In his writings, Thiru Vi. Ka. developed a prose style which built on the inner rhythms
of the Tamil language and produced a rhythmic, flowing text. The field of Tamil prose was
still relatively new, and the style he developed was extremely influential. His works are today
seen as having given a new energy to the Tamil language and regarded as part of the foundations
on which the modern Tamil prose style has been built.
Politics Through this period, Thiru Vi. Ka. continued
to remain active in politics and the Indian independence struggle. He was considered to
be one of the three pillars of the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu, even becoming
the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in 1926. He spent much time touring Tamil
Nadu, making speeches on the need for independence. He remained active well into his sixties,
and did not retire from politics until Indian independence in 1947.
Death Thiru Vi. Ka. died on 19 September 1953 at
the age of 71. Recongnition
On 21 October 2005, the Indian government commemorated his life by releasing a stamp
in his honour. Thiru.Vi.Ka industrial estate, Guindy
Thiru.Vi.Ka nagar, Chennai – Assembly constinuency. Thiru.Vi.Ka park, Shenoy Nagar, Chennai.
Thiru.Vi.Ka Salai,Royapeta(GP Road), Chennai. Thiru Vi.ka government school, Shenoy Nagar,
Chennai. Thiru.Vi.Ka bridge, Adyar, Chennai
Thiru.Vi.ka Nagar, Virudachalam. Thiru.Vi.ka Government Arts College,Thiruvarur.
References