About Kavingar Puduvai Sivam
Life History of
PUDHUVAI SIVAM
PUDHUVAI SIVAM
POET PUDHUVAI SIVAM
Poet Sivaprakasam, popularly known as Pudhuvai Sivam, was born on 23rd October 1908, the son of Thiru Shanmuga Velayutham and Tmt. Visalatchiammal, and the grandson of renowned Talawa Veerasamy of Muthialpet, Pondicherry. He had studied French and Tamil in a Government School. After passing ‘Brevet’, he served as a Tamil Teacher for many years. Dedicating himself towards the cause of social reformatory services, he was also a poet of the Self-Respect Movement.
He ran a publication ‘Pudhuvai Murasu’ in coordination with Poet Bharathidasan in the year 1930. As a Manager and Publisher of Pudhuvai Murasu, Poet Sivaprakasam wrote various articles and editorials in Pudhuvai Murasu. These articles were against the British and thereby inspired the people of India in their fight for freedom and as a result, the British Government banned its publication. He was imprisoned by the colonical Government for about six months in the year 1932, for his publications against the atrocities in the name of religion and for his zest to remove the foreign yoke in India. He was also fined 500 francs in this regard.
Poet Sivaprakasam continued to fight against foreign rule and was involved in the agitation in support of labourers when there was a labour agitation in ‘Savanna Mill’ in 1936. Poet Sivaprakasam involved the public basically in support of the labourers through pamphlets and poems. As a result, there was victory in favour of the labourers. For the first time in Asia, eight hours work and various concessions were extended to the Pondicherry mill workers.
Poet Sivaprakasam declined to accept the Citizenship conferred by the French Government. He dedicated himself towards the cause of Pondicherry. He even refused to receive the financial assistance being given to the freedom fighters in later times.
The role of Poet Sivaprakasam towards the cause of Tamil is marvelous. He taught Tamil freely to many persons in a special way apart from being a Tamil Teacher. He gave training in the art of Tamil language, both literally and also to develop elocution skill through various literary organizations. He contributed poems and articles to various journals. He also wrote many books towards the development of Tamil language. His reformatory poems for the emancipation of women from his collections such as ‘Marumalarchi Kavithaigal’, ‘Marakkudi Magalir’, ‘Kaimmai Verutha Karigai’, ‘Thamizhar Thanmathippu Padalgal’ along with his literary Contribution towards Tamil deserve special mention. His composition of lyrics greatly contributed towards the development of Tamil music and also for dramas. He played a greater role towards the casuse of dramas and in 1930’s many of his plays were staged. His plays were performed not only in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu but also in Malaysia. His plays ‘Kokilarani’, ‘Sithaintha Vazhvu’, and ‘Samuga Sevai’ were published in the form of books. Even though Poet Sivaprakasam was in poverty, he continued to publish books through his own publishing house ‘Gnayiru Publication’ and contricuted much for the development of Tamil language. Poet Sivaprakasam also published various journals in Tamil on various occasions. He also published journals and magazines like ‘Pudhuvai Murasu’, ‘Kavithai Mandalam’, ‘Thozhilalar Mithhran’, ‘Gnayiru’, ‘Sudaroli’, ‘Porwal’, etc.
Poet Sivaprakasam’s prime motive was the upliftment of the society and emancipation of women at large. Poet Sivaprakasam also translated his thoughts into action. All his thought-provoking ideas on Women’s Rights, Women’s Education, Widow Re-Marriages etc., centered around this, apart from his poems. He himself arranged and performed reformatory marriages, of which most were widow remarriages. He even fought strongly against the caste system and caste differences. He took it as a challenge to bring out a caste-free socialistic society. Poet Sivaprakasam contributed much for the flourish of social reformation. His thoughts and actions were unified towards eradication of superstitions, a society of a very high order, free of bigotry and people with sublime thoughts bringing about a poverty-free society marked by social charge and prospective development.
Poet Sivaprakasam earned the respect of all sections of the society, despite his leadership in favour of Self-Respect and Dravidian Movements. Poet Sivaprakasam joined hands with his contemporaries like Poet Bharathidasan, Thiru E. Goubert, Thiru R.L. Purushothaman Reddiar, Thiru Venkata Subba Reddiar, Thiru V. Subbiah and Thiru Ansari P. Duraisamy, all of whom were leaders of various socio-political movements of the Pondicherry Territory. He was elected as Deputy Mayor of Pondicherry in the year 1968.
Poet Sivaprakasam had links with various great leaders. He was a close associate of Thanthai Periyar and Arignar Anna. The relationship with Perunthalaivar Kamarajar at Parliament enabled Poet Sivaprakasam to work unitedly for the cause of the people without any political difference among the Paliament Members belonging to the State of Tamil Nadu. He was a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha 1969-75) representing Pondicherry. He was instrumental in echoing various problems of Pondicherry in the Parlieament. Praying for additional allocation of funds for Pondicherry, separate train facilities to Chennai through Cuddalore, Pondicherry and Marakkanam, granting of special status for Pondicherry, fulfilling the reasonable demands of freedom-fighters of Pondicherry, conferring of ‘Statehood’ for Pondicherry, release of stamp of Poet Bharathidasan, expansion of urban area in Pondicherry were some of the problems that were put forward by Poet Sivaprakasam in the Parliament. Poet Sivaprakasam organized Tamil literary as well as social services by forming various Literary Associations and Social Organizations and made Poet Bharathidasan as its leader and he himself was the Secretary. Poet Sivaprakasam, pen named as Pudhuvai Sivam, was conferred ‘Bharathidasan Award’ in the year 1983, by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Poet Sivaprakasam lived life in a multi-faceted spectrum marked as a Teacher, a Socialist, Writer, Dramalist, Editor, Journalist, Literary Poet, a Social Reformer and an Emancipator of Women, a Friend of Labourer, a Freedom Fighter and above all, a Tamil Poet.
Hounourable Chief Minister of Pondicherry Thiru N. Rangasamy, has observed in his ‘Foreword’ to the collection of plays by poet Sivaprakasam as follows:
“Poet Sivaprakasam wrote poems for the greatness of Tamil Society. His poems fought against social imbalances. He was a Socialistic sculptor in fighting against caste and a poet of the masses. He gave a clarion call for the emancipation of women and welfare of the labourers and the society in general. Poet Sivaprakasam made an indelible mark in the annals of Pondicherry. The Government of Pondicherry feels proud in celebrating his birthday annually for a poet who had contributed much for the development of Tamil through journalism, Indo-French Freedom Struggle for the special identity of Pondicherry, and above all a renowned personality with clean hands in public life”.
The Government of Pondicherry has been celebrating his Birthday as a Government of Pondicherry through the Department of Art and Culture. Now his statue is being erected. His poems have been translated in English and will be published very shortly. His history, poems and dramas and his other contributions have been included in the ‘Internet’.
Poet Sivaprakasam loved his nations and the language of Tamil more than anything else. It may be recalled that poet Bharathidasan has said, “He who works for the development of Tamil will be immortal”. No wonder, Poet Sivaprakasam, who lived upto this ideal, is immortal.
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