When we utter the slogan ‘ Jai Hind’, the echo resonate our soul. The words immediately reverberate towards dedicating ourselves to our Motherland.
Who coined this rejuvenating slogan…?
Interestingly, the story of ‘Jai Hind’ has its roots in not one, not two but three states.
Kerala, Tamilnadu and Bengal.
Chempakarman Pillai, also known as Venkidi, was born in Trivendrum, that was part of kingdom of Travancore, in British India and is current Thiruvananthapuram of present day state of Kerala on the 15th of September 1891. He was born in Tamil Vellarar community, the caste that belongs to present day Tamilnadu, Kerala and spreaded over North Eastern parts of Sri Lanka. Predominantly, a land owning community that once ruled the region and has its historic presence that dates back to two millennia in the Southern Bharat.
Champakarman’s parents Chinnaswami Pillai and Nagammal, hailed from Nanjinad, (the then in Travancore, currently falls in Kanyakumari district, of Tamilnadu).
In 1907, when Chempakarman was still in school, there was a routine school inspection by a British official from Education department. Each student greeted the Education Inspector wishing him “Jai Hind” . The inspector was shocked and aghast. He set an enquiry to find out who was behind this act and it was found out that a youth of thirteen, Champakarman Pillai had coined the greeting , that indicated “Victory for India” or “Hail India”.
In 1908, at young age of 17, he travelled to Europe, with the help of a European scientist. He pursued a diploma in Engineering at ETH Zurich, a public university in Switzerland, from October 1910 until the outbreak of the first world war in 1914.
During the war driven atmosphere, he founded the International Pro-India Committee in Zurich and appointed himself as it’s president.
He published a magazine, titled as Pro India, from Zurich.
Around the same time, an “Indian Independence Committee” also known as Berlin Committee, was formed in Berlin by a group of Bharatiya expatriates, in Germany. The group comprised of Virendranath Chattopadhyay (brother of Sarojini Naidu), Bhupendranath Dutta ( younger sibling of Swami Vivekanand), A. Raman Pillai ( a Bharatiya expatriate journalist, author and publisher based in Germany, who toiled for Bharatiya freedom from foreign soil.), Taraknath Das (a Bharatiya revolutionary and professor of Political science at Columbia University, who organised Asian Indian immigrants in favour of Bharatiya independence), Maulavi Barkatullah ( a revolutionary from Bhopal and was appointed as the Prime Minister of first Provincial Government of Bharat, established in 1915 in Afghanistan).
In October 1914, Pillai migrated to Berlin and joined the Berlin Committee, merging it with his International Pro-India Committee. The Pro -India committee became the guiding force for all pro Bharat activities in Europe.
Apart from Virendra Chattopadhyay, Chamapakarman Pillai was the only one known .
Lala Hardayal also joined the movement and he, along with Pillai, delivered anti – British lectures before huge audiance. They persuaded constant efforts to raise an Indian Nationalist Army Corps from among prisoners of war as well as Bharatiyas residing in Mesopotamia, Syria and Turky.
By the middle of 1916, branch offices of Indian Committee had been established in multiple destinations; Zurich, Amsterdem and Stockholm.
They were headed by Jnan Chandra Dasgupta, Pillai and Virendranath Chattopadhyay, respectively.
Designated as in-charge of committee, Pillai initiated contacts with the outside world through Holland (Netherland) and designed a strategy to revive revolutionary activities in East Asia.
Pillai, asked Dr. Daus Dekkar, the Indonesian nationalist in exile, to arrange the distribution of propaganda leaflets through the then Holland. He also asked Dr. Dekkar to foster co-operation between Bharatiya and Indonesian nationalists. However, he was arrasted on the way, at Hongkong and unfortunately, he confessed everything.
Thus, the mission of Bharatiya revolutionaries efforts in South East Asia came to sad end.
Indian Independence Committee, later was involved in the Hindu German conspiracy along with the Ghadar party, in the USA. Hindu German conspiracy were a series of attempts between 1914-1917 by Indian nationalist groups to create a pan Indian rebellion against the British empire, during the World war 1. The group of rebellions consisted of Indian revolutionary underground and exiled or self exiled nationalists based in the United States.
The Ghadar party was an early twentieth century, international political movement initiated by the expatriate Bharatiyas to overthrow the British rule from Bharatiya soil.
The German foreign office under Kaiser Wilhelm || funded the committee ‘s anti British activities.
After the failure of the mission to ablaze revolutionary activities in South East Asia as well as by the end of the first world war, Pillai stayed back in Berlin and took up a job of technician in a factory, he happened to meet Netaji Subhashchandra Bose, while he was visiting Vienna.
In 1919, Pillai revived his political activities and established German – Indian league in support of Bharat’s independence. By 1924, he was actively supporting the German “Nationalist Party” and delivered a lecture on “Indian Right to Freedom” and the “Gandhi Movement” (Non Co-operation Movement).
Around 1926, the then British Government in India, intercepted a letter by Pillai to the editor of the newspaper ‘Navayuha’ in Hyderabad. The letter was communicated to the Madras Government with the instruction, to take precautionary measures to deal with Chamapakarman Pillai, if he landed on Bharatiya soil and levy charges for anti British activities.
The Provisional Government of India was a provisional government – in – exile, established in Kabul, Afghanistan on 1st December 1915, by the Indian Independence Committee, during World war 1, with the support from the Central Powers. The Central Powers consisted of the German Empire, Austria – Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and the kingdom of Bulgaria.
It’s motive was to generate support from the Afghan Emir, the Bolshevik, Russia, China and Japan for the Indian movement.
Niedermayer – Henting Expedition, also known as the Kabul mission, was a diplomatic mission, to Afghanistan sent by the Central Powers in 1915-16.
The purpose was to encourage Afghanistan to declare complete independence from the British empire, enter world war 1, on the side of Central Powers and invade British India.
The expedition was part of the series of Indo – German efforts to provoke nationalist revolution in Bharat. It was nominally headed by Bharatiya prince Raja Mahendra Pratap. Other significant participants were Maulavi Barkatullah and Chamapakarman Pillai, who were nominated as the Prime Minister and Foreign Ministers respectively.
The Provisional Government found significant support from the internal administration of the Afghan government but the Emir disagreed to declare his open support and ultimately, the British pressure prevailed and hence, the Provisional Government was forced to to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1919.
Champakarman Pillai met Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Vienna in 1919 and inspired him to establish INA. (Indian National Army).
Champakarman Pillai continued to work in Germany but at heart, he was dedicated to the cause of Bharat’s independence. He directed and exhibition of Bharatiya products in Germany in 1924. In 1930, he became the Berlin representative of the Indian chamber of Commerce. He was the sole non – White in the National People’s Party that supported Nazis.
Initially, he enjoyed cordial relationship with Adolf Hitler. However, during a press meet in August 1931, Hitler passed a nasty comment, that if non Aryan Indians were ruled by the British, it is their fate. This, was a hurtful comment, that angered Pillai. Four months later, Hitler once again showed his true colours. He once again passed a blazing statement, that “Britain losing India would not augur well for any nation, including Germany.”
Miffed at Hitler’s approach, Pillai retaliated and wrote to him – ” You seem to attribute more importance to colour of the skin than blood . Our skins may be dark but not our hearts.”
Pillai issued a deadline to Hitler to withdraw his statement and apologies. Hitler, instead of apologising himself, sent his secretary to apologise but along with his apology, he expressed his discomfort at being attributed with a black heart. Thus, the rift between the two leaders widened.
In January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and turned into an autocrat, unsurping power and establishing his unquestionably influence over Germany.
Nazis, under Hitler and now in power, soon raised Pillai’s home in Berlin. He was manhandled and thrown out from his dwelling. By the time, he was already in unsound financial condition but had no choice to move out of Germany. He moved to Italy. With his frail health, he was admitted to a nursing home in Italy and was diagnosed with a blood clot in his brain.
Due to lack of finances, needed for the treatment, he died, a unceremoniously, as a broken man.
Abid Hasan Sarfarani, born as Zain -al-Abdin Hasan, was born in anti – colonialist family in Hyderabad in 1911.
He travelled to Germany to study Engineering.
While in final year of Engineering, he came across Netaji Subhashchandra Bose, who called all the students for a meeting and appealed to them to join INA.
Initially, Abid Hasan was reluctant but on persuasion by Netaji, he agreed. Later, he became one of the close aide of Netaji, his personal secretary and translator.
While studying in Berlin, Abid Hasan was influenced by the story of Champakarman ‘s heroic unparalleled efforts for liberating Bharat. He gathered about Pillai’s coined slogan ‘Jai Hind’.
When Netaji, escaped in 1943, by Submarine to go from Germany to Japan, Abid Hasan accompanied him. Netaji was keen to adapt to a greeting and war cry for INA, that was inclusive and was not based on religious or linguistic differences. Hence, Abid Hasan’s suggestion of “Jai Hind” was warmly accepted.
Abid Hasan adapted the word Saffrani to his name, to portray unity with the fellow Hindus as Saffron is a sacred identity of Hindus.
It is also believed that Champakarman Pillai, was involved in trying to rescue Veer Savarkar, in Paris.
His final wish was, to be immersed in the Karmana river of Trivendrum (Thiruvananthapuram), his place of birth. He lived larger part of his life on foreign soil, but had dedicated the entire life, for the pious cause of liberating Motherland from foreign clutches.
His devoted wife, Laxmibai underwent indescribable tortures at the hand of Nazis, but nevertheless, put in all possible efforts, to preserve his ashes, his diary and secret documents. Suffering constant hardship , while in Berlin, Spain and Italy, she finally managed to reach Bombay.
The Indian Navy’s famous war-vessel, INS DELHI, carrying the Bharatiya flag, afloat, the ashes were brought to Cochin on September 16th 1966, thirty two years after his death. On reaching Cochin, she appealed to the people gathered to receiver her – “To proclaim his name to the world and let them know the service he rendered for the country’s independence and to add glory to Ma Bharati.”
But, free Bharat, however did not honor the great hero and his wife for the huge sacrifice and martyrdom. Although, Shradhey Moraraji Desai granted him a house to Laxmibai, later she died of starvation and suffering.
Champakarman Pillai’s life was dedicated to Bharat Mata. Unfortunately, his contribution and sacrifices have remained unsung. The inspiring tales of his life, were never written in our History text books. Unfortunately, the Congress, for decades, kept this saga of bravery under the carpet and grabbed the sole credit for Ma Bharati’s independence movement and that’s the irony of Bharat.
