The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paid tributes to freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his birth Anniversary.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
“Tributes to the great V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his birth anniversary. Our nation is indebted to him for his rich contribution to the freedom struggle. He also placed great emphasis on economic progress and becoming self-reliant. His ideals continue to inspire us.”
Tributes to the great V. O. Chidambaram Pillai on his birth anniversary. Our nation is indebted to him for his rich contribution to the freedom struggle. He also placed great emphasis on economic progress and becoming self-reliant. His ideals continue to inspire us.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2022
Valliyappan Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai (5 September 1872 – 18 November 1936), also known as Kappalottiya Tamizhan, was an Indian freedom fighter and former leader of the Indian National Congress. He founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906 to compete against the monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISNC). He launched the first indigenous Indian shipping service between Tuticorin (India) and Colombo (Sri Lanka) with the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNC), competing against British ships. Tuticorin Port Trust, one of India’s thirteen major ports, is named after him. At one time a member of the Indian National Congress, he was later charged with sedition by the British government and sentenced to life imprisonment, and his barrister license was revoked.
Chidambaram Pillai spent his final years in poverty. He died on 18 November 1936 at the Tuticorin office of the Indian National Congress.