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Handing down a historic legacy
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"The leaders should conduct themselves exemplarily like Rajaji and Kakkan, and should have self-discipline, and this alone would help to create a committed society."
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M. Gurusamy Naidu
At the ripe age of 96, he recollects the historic events that took place during the country's freedom struggle, in which he took an active part.
Hailing from Ladapuram, a hamlet in Perambalur district, he spent a year in the Mahatma Gandhi's Wardha Ashram, learning how to make `swadeshi' soap and paper. He took part in various agitations launched against the British regime, and was in jail for 14 months.
He was also instrumental in spreading the Bhoodan Movement. A close associate of the tall leaders of the freedom struggle, including Kamaraj, Rajaji, Sathiamoorthi, Pasumpon Thevar, A. K. Gopalan, and Mohan Kumaramangalam, Ladapuram M. Gurusamy Naidu is one of the very few surviving freedom fighters. In a conversation with Syed Muthahar, he regrets the lack of commitment and discipline among the present-day youth.
KURUMBALUR NATESA Iyer, a veteran Congressman, used to frequently visit Ladapuram to motivate the people to join the freedom movement. Periasamy Reddiar, an influential leader of the village, attracted by Natesa Iyer's moving speeches, visited North India and met Mahatma Gandhi.
As Gandhiji was considered a demi God, Reddiar was accorded a rousing reception when he returned. The young Gurusamy Naidu, who had then completed Standard IV, joined the red- carpet reception. Then and there, he decided to meet Gandhiji at any cost. He started saving money, and even worked as a cooli.
A few years on, he got admission to the Wardha Ashram, where he met Gandhiji on several occasions. In the Ashram, the youngsters from different parts of the country were imparted training in making `swadeshi' goods, and special classes were also conducted on improving the rural economy. Gurusamy Naidu specialised in making soap and handmade paper. After completing his course in 1940, he came down to Tamil Nadu and met Rajaji, who advised him to train students of the Harijana Seva Sangam School at Vellore in making papers. By that time, World War-II broke out. The Congress was preparing a list of volunteers for participating in the Satyagraha. "All those who were willing to participate in agitations were not selected. They had to meet strict conditions and convince the leadership that their going to jail would in no way affect their families."
He got permission from Gandhiji for organising Satyagraha in his village, urging the people not to join the British Army and not to contribute to the Second World War Fund. He was arrested, and the police dropped him deep inside the Thozhudur forest. Later, he went to Chennai and participated in the Satyagraha. Again, he was imprisoned for a couple of months. Immediately after his release, he was re-arrested for addressing a meeting at Vellore, and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for six months. He was lodged at the Alipuram jail near Bellary in Karnataka.
"When Gandhiji launched the "Quit India" Movement in 1942, I visited Madurai incognito, and distributed pamphlets. I was arrested on September 8, 1942 on my return to Ladapuram, and was lodged at the Perambalur sub-jail. As no charge sheet was filed within two months, I was released."
During his tour of southern States, Gandhiji was scheduled to address a public meeting at Ariyalur. Since the venue was small, Gurusamy contacted Gandhiji and got his nod for shifting the venue. The meeting proved a big hit.
"When Clement Atlee came to power in Great Britain , we knew well that India was on road to freedom. When the British decided to leave the country, every Indian celebrated the event. No one in Ladapuram and surrounding villages slept on the night of August 14. The people gathered at the taluk office and were listening to the radio. When the news of independence was announced, the whole atmosphere turned into a joyous one, with the young and old singing patriotic songs. The next morning, we visited the nearby hamlets and hoisted the national flag," he recalled with a sense of pride and satisfaction.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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