New Book Honors Indian Freedom Fighter's Prison Sacrifice

When British jailer Mitchell saw V.O. Chidambaram Pillai's hands bleeding from spinning coir rope in 1908, he offered what seemed like mercy: work the oil press instead. What he didn't mention was that this job, normally done by bulls, meant pulling a heavy wooden beam in circles under the scorching Indian sun for hours each day.

VOC, as he was known, accepted without complaint. His fellow prisoners couldn't bear watching him suffer alone.

Whenever British officers turned away, other inmates secretly joined him at the press. They begged him to rest under nearby trees and eat sesame seed balls to keep up his strength. They told him to only pull the press when guards were watching.

A new book called "Kelatha Kathai" (The Unheard Story) chronicles VOC's 1,449 days behind bars. Author Kurusamy Mayilvaganan spent years translating VOC's prison autobiography from poetry into everyday language, revealing a story of resilience that inspired generations of Indian freedom fighters.

VOC was arrested in March 1908 on sedition charges after launching the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company two years earlier. His shipping business directly challenged British economic control of India's ports. British authorities initially sentenced him to double life imprisonment, later reduced to four years.

Prison officials tried to break his spirit, but VOC kept fighting. When authorities secretly kept prisoners detained despite reduced sentences, he smuggled a letter to The Hindu newspaper. The resulting article secured their freedom.

Why This Inspires

What moves readers most isn't just VOC's physical suffering at the oil press. It's how his quiet courage transformed the prison itself.

Fellow inmates risked punishment to help him. Supporters disguised themselves to sneak newspapers and letters past guards. Poet Subramania Bharathiar secretly sent poems of encouragement. His brother-in-law smuggled out writings that would later become historical records.

Even Tamil Nadu's current Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote an appreciation note for the book, saying tears well up when reading about VOC receiving coarse prison clothing after once wearing elegant traditional dress.

The jailer's "kind" suggestion earned VOC the nickname "Sekkizhutha Chemmal," meaning "the great man who pulled the oil press." The title became a badge of honor throughout India's independence movement, symbolizing the price freedom fighters paid for their country's future.

Today, VOC's story reminds us that real change often requires sacrifice, and that courage can inspire others to join the fight.