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.
New Indian Express : 6.8.2005
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