Running head: Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

INFLUENCE OF BAHARATHIYAR’S POEMS ON WOMEN

EMPOWERMENT

Joseph Jelso Sophia, Post Graduate Student, Department of English, St. Joseph’s Evening
College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Email: joelsojoseph@gmail.com

Abstract

It was the time, when India witnessed a great improper practice of inequality of gender.
Men in society, strongly believed that they are superior to women. They also followed a set of
rules, which insisted that “women are not supposed to be educated, women should be locked into
the four walls of the house, and if a girl loses her husband in her very early age, she should
remain unmarried until her death and to bear all the unfortunate deeds of the society towards a
widow” In that 19th Century, when this inequality was in its epitome, Mahakavi Subramaniya
Bharathiyar, a Tamil Poet, raised his voice against the social evil of that time. He boldly went
against the teachings of the society and called for equality. He said there is nothing that women
cannot attain and so society should keep everything in common to both genders. So, he started to
write about the importance of women and the need for women empowerment. His writings were
great inspiration to the women of his time as well now. This paper intends to find and appreciate
the works of Bharathi on women empowerment in comparison to his writings.

Key Words: Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar, Empowerment, Women Empowerment.

Introduction

“C. Subhramaniya Bharathiyar was a poet, freedom fighter and a social reformer from
Tamil Nadu. He was known as Mahakavi Subhramaniya Bharathiyar and a laudatory epithet.
Mahakavi means a great poet.”[ CITATION DRS16 \l 16393 ] “He believed in women’s rights,
gender equality and women emancipation. He opposed child marriage, dowry and supported
widow re- marriage.”[ CITATION DRS161 \l 16393 ] “Bharathi believed absolutely, not only in the
equality, but also the superiority of the female over the male.” [ CITATION Raj17 \l 16393 ]

Bharathiyar was a poet, writer, journalist, freedom fighter and social reformer. He is said
to be the father of Modern Tamil Poetry. He voiced his opinions in his writings on the following
Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

themes, such as Tamil, Empowerment of Tamil, Indian freedom, Women empowerment, Caste
and Religion. He captured and triggered the mind of people through his effective writings.
Ettappa Nayakar, the king appreciated his literary work and offered him a name “Kalaimagal”
means Bharathi. In 1949, the government of Tamilnadu has declared his writings as the property
of the State government. His literary writings were the first literature owned by the government.

He lived in an era that paved way to many historical challenges. Bala Gangadhar Tilak,
V.U. Chidamparam Pillai, Mahan Aravind were the great men of his time. He considered sister
Nivedita, as his Guru.

“He received a lot of inspiration from sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda,
who worked for the upliftment of women and women’s education. Her words on how one half of
the society cannot expect to win freedom when it continues to enslave the other half had a
profound impact on Bharathi. He began to think of India as his own mother or Bharatha Matha, a
sorrowful mother who was bound in chains. To date this great poet and song writer’s songs on
womanhood are celebrated in many parts of India on Women Empowerment Day.” [ CITATION
Sho16 \l 16393 ]

Inspired by Sister Nivedita he began to treat women equal to men. He began that charity
at home. He treated his wife Chellammal equal to him. Bharathi and Chellamma walked hand in
hand in the streets of Ettayapuram and thus broke the so-called social norm of that a woman
cannot walk with the man.

As this paper intend to focus on women empowerment influenced by Bharathiyar, it is

necessary to know what empowerment and women empowerment are. “Empowerment may be
described as a process which helps people to assert their control over the factors which affect
their lives. Empowerment of Women means developing them as more aware individuals, who are
politically active, economically productive and are able to make intelligent discussions in matters
that affect them” [ CITATION MAM14 \l 16393 ]

In the early Indian history, women were not allowed to participate in politics. They were
denied the right to have any kind of wealth in their name and education was strictly forbidden.
Male dominated society thought that if women were educated and sent to work, they could not

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

perform their greater duty of child bearing and caring; but if they attained freedom then they
would be empowered.

“Women Empowerment in India is heavily dependent on many different variables such as

geographical location, educational status, caste, class and age.” [ CITATION DrS15 \l 16393 ]
Women in urban society are more empowered than the women in rural society. The urban
women are more exposed to education and fruits of education. But rural women hardly step out
of their homes for their education.

“Today, empowerment of women has become one of the most important concerns of 21 st
Century. But practically women empowerment is still an illusion of reality. We observe in our
day to day life how women become victimized by various social evils” [ CITATION KHU17 \l
16393 ]

Though many speak about equality and empowerment of women, every other day we
happen to hear news about women being raped irrespective of their age. Be it a child of 2 years
or women in their 60s and 70s, become victims of cruel men. Women’s physical vulnerability is
taken for granted by those evil men.

Even though such evil discrimination exists even today, some believe in empowering
women and say “Women Empowerment is the key instrument to extend women’s capacity to
have empowerment of ladies is basically the procedure of upliftment of monetary, social and
political status of women, the customarily under privileged ones in the general public. It is the
way guarding them against all types of viciousness.”[ CITATION Lal16 \l 16393 ]

Research Gap

This research paper intends to study and find Bharathiyar’s dream of empowering
women, spread throughout his poems. In the beginning, Bharathi also treated women as any other
men of the society of his time did. He thought that women were inferior to men and so treated his
wife Chellammal likewise, till he met Sister Nivedita, the disciple of Swami Vivekananda. Her
words of wisdom opened his eyes; it’s where he began to treat women equally. Being a freedom
fighter, he never thought of the denied freedom of his wife. But, after that great meeting, he was

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

transformed into a real freedom fighter, who cared for women. Thereafter, he started to imagine
India as Mother India and started to relate everything in a feminine perspective.

In this paper the researcher is trying to throw light on the words of Bharathi, which
portray him as a poet who empowered women through his poems. The poems of Bahrathi are
analyzed to show him as a poet for the empowerment of women.

Objectives

 To highlight the dreams of Bharathi’s Poems on Women Empowerment.

 Status of women during the time of Bharathi.
 Bharathi’s dreams on women empowerment.

Research Questions

 What is women empowerment according to Bharathiyar?

 Why should women be empowered in a country with reference to Bharathi’s poems?
 Has Bharathi’s dream for women come true?

Methodology

Women Empowerment in Bharathi’s Poems:

“Pennadimai theerumattum pesum iththirunaattil

Mannadimai theerudhal muyarkombe”

“Until the oppression against women is abolished

Freedom will be an unreachable idea to India”

According to Bharathi, women empowerment is an essential tool to attain freedom for the
country. He firmly believed that women are also share the equal part of our country. So, he said,
if half part of the country leads an internal enslaved life, it is impossible to attain freedom from
the external men. Therefore, he insisted on the empowerment of Women. Our former President,
our beloved scientist, the Missile Man of India also insisted upon the same. He too said that if
women are educated and empowered, then, India will become one of the most powerful nations.
Thus, he professed his faith in empowering women.

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

“Pattangal aalvadhum Sattangal seivadhum

Paarinil penngal nadatha vandhom
Ettum arivinil aanukkinge – penn
Illaippillai kannentru kummiyadi”

“We have been educated to make laws and therefore rule

We are equal to men in wisdom;
We are in no way unequal to men in knowledge – so
Be glad and dance”

Panjali Sabadham was written as a freedom poem. He considered Mahabharatha war as

the Independence struggle of India and Panjali as Bahratha Matha, who faced innumerable
humiliation from the enemy due to the ignorance of her loved ones. This is considered to be one
of the best creative literary work of Bharathi.

Here Bharathi is picturing before us the women who are been empowered through
education. They are confident enough to say that they are equal to men and it is possible only
because of the power of education.

During the time of Bharathi, education was only a dream. People strongly believed that
educating women is an act of wasting energy as well money. They were specially set apart for
procreation and household work. They never enjoyed the freedom of knowing the world through
the medium of education. Men repressed women saying, if they are engaged in the process of
learning they might lack stamina for child bearing and caring. Men considered women only as a
machine to bear children, but not as human beings with feelings and emotions.

Being a transformed person Bharathi wrote the above lines. In these lines he speaks about
his vision of empowered women in three important aspects.

 Right to participate in politics

 Right to education
 Right to own wealth

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

Women are powerful to make rules and regulations. They can make laws to rule the entire
world, which means they are capable of partaking in the political system of our country. It is true
that in independent India, there are women who successfully imprinted their name to be
remembered forever.

The second important right ,yet the prominent one, is the right to education. Education is
the key that unlocks the closed doors to wisdom. He says that women empowered through
education will achieve the realm of the learned men.

The third important aspect of freedom is to have wealth, which was obtained by women
after their long struggle.

“Aanum pennum nigarena kolvadhal

Arivi longi ivaiyam thalaikkumam”.

“If men and women are considered equal

The earth will flourish with highest wisdom”

Here Bharathi speaks about the equality of both men and women. The benefit of being
equal is the way to attain highest wisdom. In these words, too, he strongly confesses the need for
the education of women. The one and only way to attain highest wisdom is to educate women
and to create a society filled with wise people.

“Nayagar tham thammai thotrabin – Ennai

Nalgum urimai avarkku illai – pulai
Thaayathile vilai pattabin – Enna
Saathirathal ennai thottittar”

“When the masters lost themselves

in that shameful dice game – what
right do they have to give me as
a compensation for their shameful deed”

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

Here, Bharathi addresses a daring woman called Panjali. She willfully expresses her
denial to the man who arrives from the court to accompany her. She is going to become a scape -
goat for the shameful act of her masters in the assembly of the authorities. Those were the days
when society imposed an ethos which goes like this “Kallanalum kanavan; pullanaalum
purushan” which means even if one’s husband is a stone; he is her husband; even if he is grass;
he is her husband. Based on that believed culture, Panjali as a wife of the Pandavas, should have
fulfilled the words of her masters. Bharathi in his poem “Pudhumai Penn, Novel / New
Generation Girl” gives a daring voice to Panjali as he portrays her as a unyeilding personality
which no one dared to do at that point of time. Though women felt the need to come out of such
oppressed situation, the fear of society and family would stand as a great barrier on their way.
But Bharathis’ Panjali breaks such barriers in her answers to her masters and thus proves herself
to be an empowered woman.

“Nimirndha nannadayum nerkonda paarvayum

Nilathil Yarkkum anjadha nerigalum
Thimirndha gnana cherukkum iruppadhal
Semmai maadhar thirambuvadhillayam.
Amizhndha perirulam ariyamayil
Avalameithi kalayintri vaazhvadai
Umizhndhu thalludhal pannaramaagumaam”

“Graceful walk with head held up high

And upright look
Unafraid of anyone because of the innate integrity
Possessing assuredness born of courage of conviction
The modern woman feels inferior to any
Being plunged into the pitch darkness of ignorance
Living deprived of prowess out of misfortune
Spit at those the nature of a sound woman”

In these lines, Bharathi speaks about the modern woman who possesses sound self-
realization. Women of his time were never allowed to step out of their houses, and if they did,
they must be accompanied by their household. Once they came out, they would neither walk

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

beside their men nor lift their heads or look up. If someone lifted up their head society rebuked
her and name her as an uncultured woman.

But Bharathi’s dream for women has a different perspective altogether. He speaks of
women who walked with their heads held high with an upright look. Bharathi’s women have to
fear no one in society because they have been educated and have sound knowledge that no one
can withstand their wisdom. Ignorance has no place in their lives because they are enlightened
through education. These rational women won’t tolerate a beggar’s life, depending on others for
each and everything. Cowardice and ignorance are unpleasant sounds to the empowered women.
Thus, Bharathi speaks of the benefits of women being empowered. The empowered women
possess the capacity to resist evil and execute her freedom of thought in the social structure of
family. She would empower her family since she plays the roles of a teacher, caretaker, mediator,
moderator, etc.,

Conclusion

Bharathi, a poet for women beautifully speaks for the rights of women in all his feminist
poems. His works such as Panjali Sabadham, Kannan Paattu, Kuyil Pattu, Pudumai Penn are well
known feminist poems of Bharathi. In Panjali Sabadham, he speaks about the empowered
women. The characters of empowered women are enlisted in these poems. The empowered
women fight against all the boundaries and steeplechases that tore her apart and won freedom for
herself.

He correspondingly speaks about the equality of men and women. He says unless and
until there is equality between the genders, it’s impossible to have a wise society that fights
against the social vices. He also gives a different outlook for women in society. He gives entirely
a new and bold perspective for women.

His dreams for women had indeed come true. Women participate in politics, contribute to
the economic growth of the family and country, independent in their decision making, excel in
education, partake in scientific and sociological research, etc., There is no field that had not seen
the presence of women. They are dignified and given almost equal rights in all the fields.

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Influence of Bharathiyar’s Poem on Women Empowerment

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