PM Modi Honours Subramania Bharati; Celebrating His Legacy Of Courage & Cultural Awakening

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, paid heartfelt tribute to Mahakavi Subramania Bharati on his birth anniversary, saying that his words ignited courage and stirred a profound sense of national consciousness.

Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister stated that Bharati’s thoughts ‘left a lasting impression on countless people’ and continued to inspire generations.

PM Modi noted that Bharati illuminated India’s cultural and national spirit through his writing and dedicated himself to building a just and inclusive society. He added that Bharati’s contributions to Tamil literature remain unmatched, solidifying his status as one of India’s most celebrated literary figures.

A Multifaceted Genius

Subramania Bharati was renowned for his multi-dimensional intellect, having mastered 32 languages, including several foreign tongues.

While he produced exceptional essays and poems in English, he always took immense pride in being a Tamil poet and journalist.

To him, Tamil and all Indian languages were equal in beauty, depth, and sophistication.

Bharati consistently urged Indians to take pride in their linguistic heritage.

His admiration for languages beyond Tamil was evident—he famously referred to Telugu as ‘Sundara Telugu’, reflecting his commitment to linguistic harmony.

He encouraged all Indians to cherish their identity as Bharatiyas, belonging to a land steeped in ancient wisdom, a land he described as ‘the glorious symbol of the world — the Land of Bharat’.

A Visionary of Freedom and Social Equality

Bharati’s vision of freedom extended far beyond political liberation. He imagined an India free from hunger, social discrimination, untouchability, environmental neglect, and divisive linguistic and religious ideologies. This holistic vision continues to resonate strongly today.

A fierce opponent of caste discrimination, he asserted the equality of all living beings. To demonstrate this belief, he performed the sacred upanayanam ceremony for a young Dalit man, declaring him a Brahmin. In one of his poems, he proclaimed: There is no caste system. It is a sin to divide people on a caste basis.

Although Bharati opposed colonial oppression, he did not view all foreigners with disdain.

He respected those who honoured India’s culture, such as Sister Nivedita (Margaret E. Noble), who championed girls’ education and nationalism in Calcutta and popularised the singing of Vande Mataram in her school.

Bharati was also a passionate advocate for women’s rights, believing that women should lead societal transformation.

He championed female education, political participation, and gender equality long before these ideas became mainstream.

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