Dinamalar, Tamil Daily in its issue dated 18th June 2020 reported that a fringe outfit named Athi Tamilar Peravai (claiming to be a Dalit organization) paid homage to Ashe (Robert William d’Escourt Ashe ) in his tomb located in the precincts of English Church, opposite to St. John’s College, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli. Ashe was assassinated on 17th June 1911 by Vanchinathan, who minutes later shot himself and ended his life. (Ref 1)
Organizations like Vanchinathan Peravai or Veera Vanchi Iyakkam for decades have been offering floral tributes and garlanding Vanchinathan statue in Senkottai, a border town situated in the Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu -Kollam, Kerala rail / road route. However, this year on the pretext of Korana lockdown and social distancing norms Police Authorities did not permit to hold any event in commemoration of Vanchinathan.
However, there was no such ban on Athi Tamilar Peravai (ATP) and its members could not only show their respect to a colonial Ashe but also stand outside the church on the public road condemning Vanchinathan, raising slogans against Hinduism, particularly Brahminism.
Last year too, Deccan Chronicle, Chennai had reported about the same outfit and the objections of Hindu organisations lodging protest on the sinister motives of the ATP and the persons behind.
For the last 5 or 6 years this has become the annual feature of some fringe elements and individuals who use this occasion to push forward their agenda of dividing the Hindus. (Ref.2)
Here, it will be useful to know about Ashe Assassination and how it altered the course of history, British Raj and Freedom Movement.
Robert William d’Escourt Ashe, known as Collector Ashe, was acting Collector and District Magistrate of Tirunelveli. He played a significant role in crushing freedom movement by unleashing brutal police actions against patriots. He is said to have taken upon himself to get the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company shut down. The company was founded by V O Chidambaranar, an illustrious freedom fighter who pledged all his personal wealth to promote the company. As it affected their commercial interest, British Raj deployed all means (legal and foul) to hit the Swadeshi shipping initiatives and to run into loss and eventually close down.
Similarly, Ashe had taken special interest in slapping sedition charges against Chidambaranar and his colleague Subramania Siva. Eventually, Chidambaranar was convicted and punished with Double Life Sentence. Subramania Siva was arrested several times between 1908 and 1922.
These had saddened the freedom fighters and several youngsters. Wanting to avenge for these atrocities, they were waiting for the right moment. Drawing inspiration from movements like Abhinava Bharat, they had grouped themselves under the banner of Bharata Mata Sangam. Va Ve Su Aiyar who had aided Veer Savarkar in England and Neelakanta Brahmachari guided the youth. Vanchinathan was selected to carry out the mission. Vanchinathan was in temporary employment in Senkottai then in Travancore princely state. His marriage was less than one year and his wife in teens was on family at that time.
On that fateful day, 17th June 2011, Collector Ashe was in his special saloon (train cabin) along with his wife en-route Kodaikanal, the hill station to rest and recuperate. The cabin had been parked at Maniyachi Junction expecting the arrival of the train to Kodaikanal. Vanchinathan entered the cabin and fired two bullets from point blank range killing Ashe. His wife raised alarm and Vanchinathan ran along the platform and locked himself in a toilet. He killed himself. Vanchinathan had been accompanied by yet another youth Sankara Krishnan Aiyar, who was standing outside the cabin ran away but was arrested later and convicted.
What had triggered the assassination? The answer without any ambiguity was found in the letter in the Vanchinathan’s shirt pocket on the scene. What did it say? To quote,
“ I dedicate my life as a small contribution to my motherland. I am alone responsible for this. The mlechas of England having captured our country, tread over the sanathana dharma of the Hindus and destroy them. Every Indian is trying to drive out the English and get swarajyam and restore sanathana dharma. Our Raman, Sivaji, Krishnan, Guru Govindan, Arjuna ruled our land protecting all dharmas, but in this land they are making arrangements to crown George V, a mlecha, and one who eats the flesh of cows.
Three thousand Madrasees have taken a vow to kill George V as soon as he lands in our country. In order to make others know our intention, I who am the least in the company, have done this deed this day. This is what everyone in Hindustan should consider it as his duty.
I will kill Ashe, whose arrival here is to celebrate the crowning of cow-eater King George V in this glorious land which was once ruled by great samrats. This I do to make them understand the fate of those who cherish the thought of enslaving this sacred land.
I, as the least of them, wish to warn George by killing Ashe.
Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram “
(Ref.3)
Ashe was the first and only British official to be assassinated in the Southern parts of our country during the British era. It was a rude shock for the Raj who had considered this turf as a safe haven for them. The thunder struck here reverberated not only in colonial India but also in England.
When facts are so simple and straight, in the last 5 or 6 years, more than 100 years after the assassination a new narrative is being seeded in the public mind. It will be interesting to know the twist in the tale. According to individuals (masquerading as historians) and organizations like ATP Vanchinathan assassinated Ashe not out of love of the Motherland! They project Ashe as a ‘crusader of social justice ‘ and Vanchinathan as a casteist Brahmin. They quote two reasons caused the ‘martyrdom’ of Collector Ashe:
1) Courtallam (Kutralam) falls were supposedly reserved for upper castes and it was Acting Collector who made it available even to a common man to bathe. This so-called ‘noble’ action of Ashe is said to have enraged the upper castes and they ‘commissioned’ Vanchinathan to do away with Ashe. (Ref. 4)
See how ridiculous is this claim! If this had actually happened, the action of throwing open the falls to all castes should have been done through a government order or a communication such as public announcement. When nationalists confronted the so called Dalit Champions could not produce any proof as there was no such ‘noble ‘ action.
We need to consider yet another press report. According to SAMAYAM Press report of 2nd Oct 2019, a more interesting historically plausible information emerges . It recalls Gandhiji refused to take bath at Kutralam Falls when he visited the place in 1934 because of untouchability prevailing there Isn’t it strange to know that two decades after “Collector Ashe removed untouchability” in Kutralam falls twenty three years after Ashe Assassination the status quo ante was prevailing in 1934. (Ref. 4A)
When this ‘theory’ was punctured, they let loose their wild imagination and came out with a sentimental story.
2) We will read what K G Kalaikannan, Tirunelveli district secretary of the Athi Tamilar Peravai, had to say. His version is, “Vanchinatha Iyer was exasperated by Ashe’s wife, Mary Lillian Patterson who helped a pregnant outcaste woman who was in need of immediate medical treatment to pass through the agraharam. He killed Ashe to protect the Brahminical set-up.” (Ref: 5)
In this story also, firstly the incident was said to have happened in Senkottah, then a village where the Agraharam was a lane deep inside the village not in any way a thorough-fare connecting a Dalit hamlet and the main road. Agraharam was such a narrow lane and not a short route to carry a pregnant woman in a cart. Here again, when persons like Senkottai Sriram, a journalist of two decades of experience, proved that this could not have happened in Senkottai village, the scene of action was altered to an unknown village. See, now you can not ask for any proof; can you?
Even an elementary student of history will be curious to know if any one of the above theories was suspected, whether it was mentioned in the charge sheet, probed and resolved during the enquiry and argued against any of the accused in the court?
Further, had it been a mere local issue for which Ashe was murdered, would British Raj have reacted in a manner they had done post 17th June 1911? As clearly stated in the letter seized from Vanchinathan, Assassination was planned in the wake of scheduled visit of the King George V. Naturally, British Raj was shaken and heightened their atrocities all over India from Afghanisthan borders to Myanmar. They started slapping Sedition Charges even on the slightest murmur everywhere including the southern peninsula.
We must remember that Vanchinathan is continued to be as hero by all the sections of the Hindu society. Nethaji’s follower . freedom fighter and eminent Forward Bloc leader Muthuramalinga Thevar directly and indirectly did his best to support Vanchinathan’s wife and his wards. Kumari Anandan, a Congress Leader (father of Dr. Tamizhisai Soundararajan) led a series of campaigns for naming the Maniyachi railway station as Veera Vanchi Rail Nilayam in late 70s and early 80s. Then Chief Minster M G Ramachandran also lent his support to the cause. Eventually, in 1984 the demand was fulfilled Our question arises here: even if an iota of doubt about Vanchinathan’s real intentions had been felt (that is being casteist), would astute politicians like MGR and Kumari Anandan promoted the commemoration of Vanchi? To denigrate Dalit and support a Brahmin would tantamount to committing a political hara-kiri.
When Ashe Assassination case is so crystal clear, why there is an attempt to resurrect – repaint Ashe as a hero and besmirch Vanchi as a narrow minded insignificant character. To get the answer, we must review the history of recent 30 years. The growth of RSS, Hindu Munnani, ABVP, Seva Bharati activities irritates the forces inimical to Hindu consolidation and Central Government.
In the same period, we witnessed the rising of several Tamil separatist organisations, caste based organisations and naxal groups. As elsewhere, for 25 years (1989 to 2014) due to coalition governments in Centre gave the right climate for their growth. Both AIADMK and DMK , overtly and covertly aided their growth and consolidation. (The situation in TN resembles vicious atmosphere of J & K prior to Aug 2019). Those separatist groups perceive Sangh as the only force which can effectively take on and neutralise them.
The formation of a strong government in 2014 jolted them. Now they are back to the wall. They have realised that the Tamil Nadu is the only space where they are relatively free to carry on their agenda. To achieve their mission, they invent new and new theories and causes to protest. Be it may social, political, economical issue, for every issue they add caste colour and set a narrow communal narrative. For nearly centuries, Churches have exploited the inter-caste rivalries to their benefit. The role played by Church in Koodankulam and Sterlite protests is well known.
In the current issue of Ashe being projected as a hero too, the hand of Church is felt. The Deccan Chronicle article quoted earlier states: “ Ashe This version is a fraud created by a priest Ravikumar Stephen, according to P Ramanathan, president of the Vanchi Makkal Iyakkam. In his message of reconciliation to Harihara Subramanian, son of Vanchinathan’s younger brother through e-mail on June 18, 2011, Robert William D’escourt Ashe’s grandson, Robert W D E Ashe, referred to Vanchinathan as an idealist political campaigner whose zeal for the freedom of his country sent Robert (Ashe) to his early grave. This clearly established that Ashe was shot dead by Veeran Vanchinathan to free India and not for any other personally motivated reason,” argued the president of Vanchi Makkal Iyakkam.” (Ref 5)
What emboldens the Church to spread such half- baked theories? Marxian historians and self-claimed scholars fulfil the requirements of Church. One such ‘historian’ is A R Venkatachalapathy, a product of JNU. After serving in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (Tirunelvely) and Madras University, currently is a Director in Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. He regularly writes in The Hindu and Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). A few years before, A R V went in search of Ashe’s descendants and met his grandson in UK. In his subsequent article published by Kalachuvadu Pathipakam (later in EPW ) he tried to create a sympathy for Ashe who died at the age of 39. Persons like ARV seed a story in their party media quoting which their minions later claim those fictions as the history. ARV and his ilk provide the one liner plot which is funded and developed into a full blown movie by the Church. Keezhadi excavations are one such project to project their agenda in a grand scale. (Ref. 7, 8 & 9)
The consoling factor is yet another Marxian writer like Prof. M Subramanian ( said to be the mentor of ARV) does not buy the caste factor being the reason for Ashe Assassination. He cites from the writings of Ayothya Pandithar, a contemporary of Ashe and Vanchi to refute the new invention. (Ref.5)
When the grandson of Ashe himself is sending reconciliation message, individuals like ARV and groups like ATP display ‘ more Royal than King ‘ attitude not for fun; it is a part of greater design. (Ref.6)
So far deification of Ashe has not gained much attention in the main stream media. However, In the social media the anti- Hindu chorus noise is increasing year after year in a menacing manner. It is high time State and Central agencies take cognisance , deal effectively and put to rest the divisive elements.
References:
1) Dinamalar https://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=2559747
2) Business Standard – Hindu outfit opposes tribute to British Collector- https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/hindu-outfit-opposes-tribute-to-british-collector-115062400908_1.html
3) Robert William Escourt Ashe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_William_Escourt_Ashe
4) Dalit View: last para in above Wikipedia article
4A)SAMAYAM news report: https://tamil.samayam.com/latest-news/india-news/mahatma-gandhi-did-not-take-bath-in-courtallam-falls/articleshow/71405058.cms
5) Bid to malign Vanchinathan kicks up row https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/180619/bid-to-malign-vanchinathan-kicks-up-row-in-nellai-dt.html )
6) Murdered British officer’s kin send reconciliation message
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/169691/murdered-british-officers-kin-send.html
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._R._Venkatachalapathy
8) https://www.mids.ac.in/venkatachalapathy/
9) in search of Ashe- https://www.jstor.org/stable/25663988?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A5377cf4c670f514d1816e021608b19d7&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents