Vanchinathan Iyer, popularly known for a shot and killing Robert Ashe, a tax collector in Tirunelveli. Some say that Vanchinathan was a Tamil who took part in the liberation struggle and was the first to shoot an Englishman against the British, and Some say that Vanchinathan was a casteist and caused many misfortunes to the people. Thus the biography of Vanchinathan remains a mystery. In this article, we're going to see both faces.
Vanchinathan's early Life
Vanchinathan was born in 1886 in Sengottai, Tirunelveli, the son of Raghupathi Iyer and Rukmini Ammal. Vanchinathan also received his primary education at Sengottai, his hometown. At an early age, he was greatly impressed by the speeches of Bharathi, Subhramanaiya Siva, and V O Chidambaram. Thus Vanchinathan had a thirst for freedom at a young age. After this, Vanchinathan's life passed like the life of an ordinary man. After completing his degree at a college in Thiruvananthapuram, Vanchinathan married Ponnammal at the age of 23. After that, he was working in the Punalur forest for some time.
Bharat Matha Sangam
After this scenario his thirst for independence again gripped him and his whole aim was to fight against the British and defeat them and buy freedom for India. Thus Vanchinathan left his job which was an obstacle to his freedom thirst. After left from the job Vanchinathan joined the movement called Bharat Mata Sangam. The aim of the Bharatmata Sangam movement was to mobilize all the youth in India and simultaneously carry out a revolution against the British.
The association followed a number of policies, the most important of which was that no information about the association should be leaked. They should not tell any information about the association except that they should commit suicide if they were in any danger.
Sniper training
Vanchinathan joined the association(Bharath Matha Sangam) and went to Pondicherry where he trained with another Iyer. After training to be a good sniper, Vanchinathan bought a gun(Belgium-made automatic pistol) of his own.
Robert Ashe Durai
Robert Ashe Durari was an Englishman who was the Sub Collector of Tirunelveli during Vanchinathan's lifetime. Robert Ashe insulted W.O. Chidambaran and also took Subramania Siva and Madasami who are all freedom fighters to jail. In order for the British to bathe freely in Courtallam Falls, Robert Ashe forbade Indians to bathe in Courtallam. Such actions of Robert Ashe made Vanchinathan very angry.
Seeing the atrocities of Robert Ashe, the Bharat Mata Sangam decided to assassinate Robert Ashe. Then in order to select someone in that movement, they wrote everyone's name on the slip and shook the slip. The selected seat had Vanchinathan's name on it.
The Assassination of Robert Ashe Durai
Vanchinathan also gladly accepted the job and set out to assassinate Robert Ashe. On June 17, 1911, Robert and his wife boarded a first-class train at Maniachchi Railway Station to go to Kodaikanal. Vanchinathan was in second class on the same train that departed at 10:40 am. The train that Robert Ashe was going on was waiting for the oncoming train to pass. That time Vancinathan got out of second-class and went to where Robert Ashe was in first-class. The very next moment he saw Robert Ashe, Vanchinathan shot Robert Ashe in the chest with the automatic pistol he was holding.
Vanchinathan's Self-esteem
Robert Ashe's bodyguards chase after Vanchinathan to catch him after Robert Ashe is shot. Vanchinathan gets off the train and runs away. Then Vanchinathan went inside a toilet there and hid. Robert Ashe's guards were standing outside, afraid to enter the toilet. About an hour later a bullet was heard coming from the toilet. After that, the guards went inside and looked. There Vanchinathan committed suicide with the same pistol that killed Robert Ashe.
Vanchinathan knew that for shooting Ashe Durai, he would be captured by the British and die at their hands (hanged). So Vanchinathan committed suicide, thinking it was a disgrace to be trapped and die by the British.
After the Vellore Revolution of 1806, almost no one had been armed against the British for almost a hundred years. Exactly 105 years later, Vanchinathan shot and killed Robert Ashe against the British.
This story about Vanchinathan is told by a few people. Another story of Vanchinathan is told in a completely different way from this story.
The Goodman Robert Ashe Durai
Many say that Robert Ashe Durai was a very good man. It is completely false that Robert Ashe banned Indians from bathing in the Courtrallam for British will bathing freely, but he allowed Dalits to bathe in the Courtrallam.
The dominance of the Brahmins was very high when Robert was the District Governor of Tirunelveli. Robert taps into the many hostile acts that the Brahmins do against the Dalits. And somewhat protected the Dalit people from the tyranny of the Brahmins.
Once Robert ashe was walking on the road when he heard the screams of a woman from a Dalit apartment. When he went there he saw a woman there was throbbing with labor pains. And she could not be taken to the hospital by the Dalit people because she had to go beyond the residence where the Brahmins live to be taken to the hospital. The Brahmins would never allow that. Thus Robert Ashe carry the woman in his own vehicle and saved the woman's life by admitting her to the hospital through a Brahmin residence against all the Brahmins.
Fall of Goodman Robert Ashe
Thus the Brahmin people became very angry with Robert Ashe for doing many things in favor of the Dalit people and against the Brahmins. In this, a young Brahmin named Vanchinathan became very angry. The as told in the first story, Vanchinathan shot and killed Robert Ashe Durai. The life of the good man Robert Ashe thus ended so tragically.
Annotation :
- The exact date of Vanchinathan's birth is not known but he was born in 1886.
- Vanchinathan's wife is Ponnammal.
- Robert Ashe Durai was shot dead by Vanchinathan on June 17, 1911.
- Vanchinathan died on June 17, 1921, at the age of 25.
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