The Transition from Kanaka Suburathinan to Bharathidasan

Kanaka Suburathinam, born on 29th April 1891, even as a child evinced a liking for Tamil Literature which was so ably nurtured by Bangaru Pathar, his school teacher and subsequently reinforced by Saram Periasamipillai, a renowned Tamil scholar. He began his career as a school teacher even before he was 18, in a primary school at Niravi. His contacts with Bharathi and other freedom fighters attracted him to the cause of Indian Nationalism.

The “Kadar Rattinapattu” was the result of his national zeal. Enveloped as he was by the reformist zeal of Bharathi he also defended the cause of the women’s freedom, attacked child marriages and advocated widow re-marriages. In due course he came to call himself as “Bharathidasan”.



Following the tradition set by Bharathi, he wrote in a simple elegant style and sought to liberate, as it were, Tamil poetry from the clutches of the pedantry and infused new life and verve into it. His poems inspired a new generation of young poets not only in Pondicherry but in the whole of TamilNadu. Among them, mention may be made of Vanidasan of Seliyamedu, a self-acknowledged disciple of Bharathidasan.

Thus Kanaka Suburathinam, inspired by Bharathi, followed his foot steps by adding flavor to the Tamil literature on his part.