V.O. Chidambaram Pillai

V.O. Chidambaram Pillai

News: Prime Minister, paid tributes to freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his 150th birth anniversary.

About:
• Also remembered as Kappalottiya Tamizhan (“Tamil Helmsman”), he was an Indian freedom fighter and former leader of the Indian National Congress.
• He founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906 to compete against the monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISNC).
• He purchased two steamships, S.S. Gallia and S.S. Lawoe for the company and commenced regular services between Tuticorin andColombo against the opposition of the British traders and the Imperial Government.
• To encourage swadeshi business and boycott British made things he established “Swadeshi Stores” to sell locally made produces. He also understood that British make money by doing business.
• He wrote several books. Some of them Meiyaram, Meiyarivu, Autobioagraphy and commentary on Thirukural. He also wrote commentary on Tamil Grammer book ‘Tholkapiyam’.