VIETNAM-NETHAJI-PONDICHERRY CONNECTIONS

NETHAJI’S VIETNAMESE CONNECTIONS

 N.Nandhivarman

 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 include 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.

 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 are convenient to wear and even wrote letters to Mahatma Gandhi on the subject.

 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, 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.

 [Courtesy: New Indian Express 6^th August 2005]