From a terrorist revolutionary sentenced to a long prison term to a spiritual ascetic and teacher would seem to many to be a far cry indeed. Yet this is exactly what happened in the case of Sri Sadguru Omkar who is today a revered octogenarian Saint who has his Ashram opposite the Nandi Hills in Kolar district
– Sri Dharma Vira, Governor of Karnataka in 1970
We are enjoying freedom now, perhaps too much of it. We did not get it free. It was the result of the indefatigable exertion and supreme sacrifices by hundreds and thousands of patriotic citizens, among whom the names of only a fortunate few find a popular place in our nation’s history. While we should not, even for a moment, grudge the recognition and respect lavishly showered on those few, which they definitely deserve, is it not our bounden duty to delve deeply into details from the past, discover those that remain anonymous and pay our homage to as many of them as we can?
All of us know of the valiant Vanchinathan who shot and killed the British collector Ashe in a train compartment at Maniyachi junction and shot himself dead so that the other prime characters in the episode are not exposed. Consequently, the substratal architects of the venture behind the scene, consisting of a group of sincere and selfless, faceless and fearless individuals who planned, recruited, inspired, equipped and directed Vanchi to execute that plan do not find a proud, prominent place in the pages of our history. Still, a few names faintly emerge and let us see one of them. – Neelakanta Brahmachari aka Sri Sadguru Omkarananda Swamy.
Early Life
Neelakantan was born in Erukkanchery, a small nondescript village near Sirkazhi in a poor orthodox brahmin family as the eldest son of Sivaramakrishna Iyer and Subbulakshmi on the 4th of December, 1889. He studied upto ninth standard in Sabanayaka Mudaliar Hindu High School, Sirkazhi. Right from his boyhood days, he was drawn towards freedom movement.
Not much detail is known about his early life except that, after working in various places in the south, he landed at the age of 16 in Madras in 1905.
Getting Involved In Freedom Fight
In 1905, Lord Curzon divided Bengal state into two, with the manifest malefic motive of injecting poison of separation between Hindus and Muslims which sadly sowed the seeds of partition later. There was a great agitation throughout the country against the move of Curzon.
The thunderous trio, popularly christened as Lal, Bal, Pal, [Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal], belonging to the extremist faction of the Congress party, were igniting the flames of freedom among the masses, especially the youth. Their inspiring speeches at the famous Tilak Ghat at Marina beach in Madras motivated the young minds into action. Neelakantan, propelled by their talks, instantly took a vow that he would not marry and get into domestic chores, till our nation was liberated from the foreign shackle, in the same manner as the colossus figure Bhishma did in Maha Bharatam. He started working incessantly towards that single goal. He remained a strict celibate throughout his life. Contrast this supreme sacrifice at such a young age with that of a popular “freedom fighter”, who reportedly went to the extent of having illicit affairs with the British Viceroy’s wife!
A small incident speaks volumes of the probity of Neelakantan. Once he had collected sizeable amount of money from the public for his movement. His father was a poor Vedic Brahmin with meagre means of income. Since he needed money for the family expenses, he wrote to his son to send just ten rupees; but, Neelakantan did not reply and did not send any money at all since what he had at that time in hand was public money. How spotless his rectitude and righteousness had been! Again, contrast this with many of the current day politicians, whose prime purpose is to plunder public property.
He moved to Pondicherry, a French territory and a safe haven for those engaged in revolutionary activities against the British. Aurobindo Ghosh, VVS Aiyar, Bharatiyar were among the famous fighters who had sought asylum there. At Pondicherry, Neelakantan started a journal, ‘Suryodhayam’ for spreading the news about the freedom movement far and wide. Meanwhile, he gained the association of great personages such as Bharatiyar, VVS Aiyar, VO Chidambaram Pillai, Bipin Chandra Pal etc.
Veer Savarkar founded an organisation named ‘Abhinava Bharatham’. In fact, it could be christened as the first secret Indian army, even before Netaji started Indian National Army, since training in warfare was also a part of their activity. Neelakantan was a co-founder of the organisation and he secretly toured to spread the message of freedom fight among the youth in the south, especially in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi. He had mobilised around 20,000 members in Tamil Nadu alone and had trained around 6000 of them in pistol shooting. He had planned to expand it further on a pan-India scale and drive out the foreigner through force. Vanchinathan was one of his trainees. Later, when VOC started Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906 as a rival for the British Steam Navigation Company, Neelakantan assisted him in selling the company’s shares and mobilizing funds for the venture.
Ashe Murder Case
Robert William Ashe was the collector and district magistrate of Tirunelvelli district in the year 1911. He was vigorously engaged in activities inimical to the locals and irritated them at every opportunity with a sadistic, satanic glee. He was also encouraging missionary activities of forcible conversion. He did everything in his power to kill Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company that was started by VO Chidambaram Pillai. He issued a shoot at sight order during the agitations that followed VOC’s arrest. This sparked an impulse for revenge among the revolutionaries. And his assassination was plotted.
The mastermind behind the assassination was Neelakanta Bramhachari who had been recruiting cadres and hatching plots against the British. In this venture, he involved Vanchinathan and Shankar Krishna Aiyar, Vanchinathan’s brother-in-law. The conspiracy was initiated by Neelakantan as early as April 1910 when he toured places like Tenkasi and conducted meetings in secret, exhorting people to drive the English out.
The meetings in secret had all the characteristics of an esoteric secret society with its own rituals and rites. There was a picture of Goddess Kali. There were red vermillion [Kunkumam], holy ash (Vibhuthi), and flowers. On the floor sat four or five people in a line. Neelakantan sat a little away and wrote on sheets of paper. They put the red powder into water and made a solution of it and each applied it on the paper. Now it was the white man’s blood. On the top of the paper ‘Vande Matharam’ was written, followed by the narration: ‘We should kill all white men. We must sacrifice our lives, person and property for this society. But whoever reveals the affairs of this society, he shall go to hell and he will be killed. They drank the red powder solution as the white man’s blood. Lots were drawn and Vanchinathan was the choice.
The preparation for the assassination began in early January 1911 when Vanchinathan took a three month break from his job and visited VVS Aiyar in Pondicherry. A couple of months later, Ashe was promoted as the acting Collector of Tirunelveli. The stage was set. The date was decided – June 11, 1911. It was to coincide with the coronation of George V. For some reason, no attempt was made that day. The second one was planned for June 17, 1911. On that day, Ashe with his wife Mary left Tirunelveli for Kodaikanal in a train to visit their children. Vanchinathan and three others boarded the same train at Tirunelveli. At 9.30 a.m., the train reached Maniyachi. As soon as the train came to a halt, Vanchinathan boarded the first class compartment in which Ashe and his wife were travelling. He shot Ashe at his head, jumped out of the train and ran into the platform lavatory. In order to save other accomplices of the operation, Vanchinathan shot himself to death.
By the time police arrived, both Ashe and Vanchinathan were dead. The police discovered a letter in Vanchinathan’s pocket signed “R. Vanchi Aiyar, Sengottai”. It read,
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 and 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.
Before long, the police rounded up 14 men and charged them with various offences under the Indian Penal Code like murder, waging war against the King-Emperor of India, and criminal conspiracy. The police description of the accused was as follows:
1) Neelakanta, alias Brahmachari, a Brahmin youth of 21 (a journalist, a fiery patriot and person of considerable persuasive skills and charm, and the leader of a conspiracy to murder Ashe);
2) Sankarakrishna Iyer, a young farmer;
3) Madathukadai Chidambaram Pillai (not related to VOC), a green-grocer;
4) Muthukumarasami Pillai, a pot vendor in his forties;
5) Subbaiah Pillai, a lawyer’s clerk;
6) Jagannatha Ayyangar, a young cook;
7) Harihara Iyer, a young merchant;
8) Bapu Pillai, a farmer;
9) V. Desikachari, a merchant;
10) Vembu Iyer, a cook;
11) Savadi Arunachalam Pillai, a farmer;
12) Alagappa Pillai, a teenaged farmer;
13) ‘Vande Matharam’ Subramania Iyer, a schoolmaster; and
14) Pichumani Iyer, a cook
Most of them were in their twenties. [Incidentally, how much do we know about each of them today? Do they not deserve better recognition, respect and reverence?]
The case was a prolonged one. The hearing in Madras went on for 93 days, from September 1911 to January 1912. Over a hundred witnesses gave evidence on both sides and a mass of the documentary evidence like letters, diaries, publications, records and reports was filed in the case. It was quite a task for the three judges who sat and heard the case without the benefit of a jury. Finally, Neelakantan got seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.
He was jailed first in Coimbatore, then shifted to Palayankottai, then to Bellary jail. During World War 1 in 1914, he made an escape attempt from prison, but was caught and the sentence was enhanced. He was released in 1919. But after getting into an altercation with police he was rearrested in 1922 and was sentenced to 10 years. His prison terms were spent at different places like Rangoon, Multan [now, in Pakistan]. He was released in 1930. During his prison tenure he wrote lot of books on spiritual subjects.
His predicament after several long stays in prisons was piteous and pathetic. He was literally penniless. He wandered around the streets of Madras and Marina beach. He went begging and was without food for many days. He slept in the Egmore railway platform. One night, while begging in Tiruvallikkeni area, he was standing in front of a small house seeking alms and on hearing his voice, out came from the house, his old friend, Bharatiyar! The poet was heartbroken on seeing the miserable condition of his friend. As ill luck would have it, Bharatiyar was also in poverty and there was no food inside the house! At that poignant moment, Bharatiyar penned the poem, ’தனி மனிதனுக்கு உணவு இல்லையெனில் இந்த ஜகத்தினை அழித்திடுவோம்.’ [If a single person remains hungry due to penury, let the entire world be destroyed!]
Epilogue
Neelakantan was a completely changed man on his release. He quit politics altogether as also material life and became an ascetic. After wandering for some time during his spiritual sojourn, he served as a priest of the princely family of Hoshangabad. Finally he arrived at lower Nandi Hills in Karnataka and settled there for the rest of his life. He renovated a dilapidated Shiva temple and established an ashram at that place. From there he carried on his spiritual activities, helping the poor and providing spiritual guidance to seekers. He assumed the name of Sadguru Omkarananda. It is said that he never used to keep money. The moment he got some from his disciples he would distribute it among the poor.
During this period, prominent persons like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Mahadev Desai, Justice Nittoor Srinivas Rao, Sitaram Goel etc., met him and discussed various matters. Dr J C Kumarappa, Gandhi’s associate was responsible for initiating the visits of Patel, Gandhi and Mahadev Desai. Dr Kumarappa met the Swamiji and was deeply impressed with his radiance and wisdom. He wrote in his brief report to Sardar Patel and Mahadev Desai “You shall be missing something great, if you do not meet Sadguru Omkar”.
He shed his mortal coil on March 4, 1978 at his 88th year. His ashram is now a small secluded place and even the locals do not know much about him. Just like the fate of many other freedom fighters, he has also evaporated into thin air, leaving hardly any trace about him.
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