NETHAJI’S VIETNAMESE CONNECTIONS
N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida
Peravai
The French connection to Puducherry
is well known and wherever French flag went along with it the Pudicherry
connectivity became a regular feature. Saigon became second home to many
Puducherrians following that rule. “In August 1858, a French squadron, which
included a few Spanish warships attacked the fortress of Danang that covered
the road to Hue, the imperial capital. A year later, the squadron captured
Saigon. Though their military superiority was undisputable the invaders failed
to force Vietnamese to its knees. Vietnamese historians compare the French
colonialists to silkworms who consumed the mulberry leaf little by little. Not
until 1883, all of 25 years later did the imperial court of Saigon sign an
unequal treaty acknowledging French supremacy “ writes Yevgeny Kobelev in a
book on Ho Chi Minh.
While French armies, which includes
Puducherrians, struggled to gain foothold in Vietnam the Nattukottai Chettiars
from Tamil Nadu went there in search of business opportunities and
Puducherrians went to take care of state administration. Dharmanathan
Purushanthi of Puducherry went in 1870 and his urge to stand on his own made
him bid adieu to administrative jobs. He ventured into business on the lines of
Chettiars. He established a soda factory and owned a liquor shop near harbour.
His success there reached Puducherry and his brother Kannusamy Purushanthi sent
his son Savarikannu Purushanthi to Saigon. Savarikkannu Purushanthi became a
moneychanger and real estate owner, minted money and came back to Puducherry as
the most prosperous citizen. At that time prime property close to RajNiwas came
in for auction and all the rich had an eye on that but Savarikkannu Purushanthi
won the auction. Thus a job seeker made money in Indo China and brought
properties in his native soil.
Savarikannu
Purushanthi 1910
The Bank of Indo China too
functioned in Puducherry in the place of current United Commercial Bank till
Puducherry's independence. Thus Puducherry and Indo China connections led to
cross country marriages. This resulted in the growth of Vietnamese restaurants
even now we see in Puducherry. Puducherrians owned properties here as well as
there. Savarikannu Purushanthi indulged in breeding race horses, which earned
him fame in Vietnam. While the earlier Purushanthi’s were not highly educated
in spite of their monetary success they did not have any political vision. But
Savarikannu Purushanthi’s brother son Leon Purushanthi was a French graduate
and he meticulously built his reputation as banker and at same time started
airing his views for public consumption. It was a time when Mahatma Gandhi had
launched his civil disobedience movement in India. Most of the job seekers from
Puducherry have accepted French colonialism with reverence, but Gandhiji’s
movement made Purushanthi sit up and watch colonial interests and intrigues. He
resigned from government service and started fully concentrating on business.
His writings started appearing in French magazines and newspapers of Indo
China. He was distressed to note at the inequality shown towards Indians
because of their dress. He strongly felt that modern dress is not harmful and
advocated all should change from dhotis to pants which is convenient to wear
and even wrote letters to Mahatma Gandhi on the subject.
Leon
Purushanthi in Saigon 1930
Leon Purushanthi was against caste
system and from Indo China he could appreciate the self-respect movement of
Periyar E.V.Ramasamy, which made him, write 5 articles in French magazines yet
to become known here. Though he was in Christianity, all through his life in
Saigon he had closely associated with Tamil Muslims association of Saigon. He
frequented Hindu temples more than the church. Leon Purushanthi is a French
citizen and most of the French citizens till date have never participated in
Indian or French Indian freedom struggle. They were satisfied with
Liberty-Equality-Fraternity under the French flag. In Saigon though most were
of this line of thinking Leon Purushathi stands apart showing keen interest and
involvement in India’s freedom struggle. The rise of Nethaji Subash Chandra
Bose and his Indian National army attracted the freedom loving Purushanthi.
While Nethaji was taken in streets of Saigon during Japanese occupation Leon
Purushanthi greeted him by presenting gold kasumaalai, which adored his
wife’s neck till that time. Indian Independence League of Nethaji was looking
for an office space and Leon Purushanthi willingly offered his palatial house
in Saigon for that purpose. His house 76 Rue Paul Blanchy at Saigon became the
Secretariat of Nethaji’s Indian Independence League, a news about this appeared
in Azad Hind magazine too. His support to Indian independence particularly for
Nethaji was not to the liking of the French; mostly the supporters of Marshal
Pertain who were ruling the French controlled Saigon at that time. They were
furious with Purushanthi and waiting for time to teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately the World War II ended in victory to the opposite side. Japan
lost and along with it Nethaji too lost. Nethaji recruited lot of Puducherrians
in his Indian National army. These aspects and the support given by freedom
lovers like Leon Purushanthi have become forgotten facts with the failures that
embraced their struggles.
When French regained power in Saigon
they picked up Leon Purushanthi from his house and imprisoned him. They
tortured him like anything else and he became mentally retarded due to the
cruelty inflicted upon him. Leon Purushanthi born on May 1 of 1901 within 45
years reached his glory and thereafter till he breathed last in 1968 he lived
having lost his mental equilibrium. Life in Saigon became miserable with his
properties being confiscated. Leon Purushanthi returned to Puducherry and lived
in his house next to Raj Niwas. He used to visit Manakula Vinayagar temple and
go around the park not conscious that India and Puducherry had gained
independence. His sacrifices for the cause of the country still had not won any
recognition. “ It is high time a postal stamp be brought out on Leon
Purushanthi in remembrance of him and many Puducherrians who perished in the
Indian National Army of Nethaji” said A.Ramasamy former Vice Chancellor of
Alagappa University who had written the “History of Pondicherry”. Purushanthi’s
descendent J.B.P.More himself a historian and let us hope he writes about
Vietnam connections to Puducherry.
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