The Proclaimer of 'Jai Hind'

Chempakaraman Pillai was an Indian revolutionary who made a significant contribution to the Indian freedom struggle. An enigmatic soul, who has a closet full of legends and myths related to him, Pillai today, suffers the collective amnesia of Indian society.

A portrait of Chempakraman Pillai, Image Source- Onmanorama

The forgotten revolutionary was born in an ordinary middle-class family of Thiruvanthapuram. Pillai was a rebel from the very beginning. The corridors of the Model School would reverberate with the anti-British slogans, as proclaimed by a young Pillai. In fear of a rebellion, the principal of the school called the police only to summon Pillai's father, Chinnaswami Pillai.

Pillai was the proclaimer of the slogan 'Jai Hind,' which became a popular tagline during the Indian freedom struggle.

Even though Pillai was born in India, he spent most of his life in Germany and other parts of Europe to mobilise all the international revolutionaries to support the cause of Indian liberation. While Pillai was pursuing his diploma in Engineering in Zurich, World War I had begun. Pillai saw this as an opportunity to team up with Germany, one of the Central Powers, to provoke an effective revolution against British rule. His own International Pro-India Committee was merged with the Indian Independence Committee to form the Berlin Committee, which functioned in Berlin. The notable members of the Indian Independence Committee included Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, A. Raman Pillai, Bhupendranath Dutta, Taraknath Das, Chandrakant Chakravarty, Maulavi Barkatullah and Heramba Lal Gupta. All these people came together to make a solid, united front to drive the British away from our motherland.

One of the interesting myths that surround Pillai is his involvement in the SMS Emden bombing in 1914. The plan was commissioned by Germany to instigate and threaten the British power in southern waters. Pillai's family claims that he was present on the ship when it attacked the Chennai harbour. Though, there is no concrete proof to testify the same. Perhaps that is the reason why so many rumours still surround the legend.

With the First World War at its peak, The Berlin Committee worked rigorously with the funds flowing from the Germans who wished to use the Indian revolutionaries to do their dirty work. In 1915, the Berlin Committee formed a Provisional Government of India in Kabul, Afghanistan. Pillai proceeded to become the Foreign Minister of the interim set-up. But with the defeat of Germany in the First World War, Britain reclaimed its power, and the Berlin committee faced a backlash. As a result, the Provisional Government of India in Kabul was also destroyed.

After the end of the First World War, Pillai continued to stay in Germany. Soon, he met with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who was visiting Vienna. It was Pillai's zealous plans that inspired Netaji to form the Indian National Army(INA). Pillai's slogan of 'Jai Hind' enthusiastically ricocheted throughout the nation amongst all the revolutionaries, including the INA, which took up arms to liberate the nation. Even after Independence, it was recognised as a national slogan.

It is indeed sad that today no one recognises the brainchild of Pillai in coining the phrase of 'Jai Hind' and his ingenious planning behind the Indian liberation movement.

Pillai's death was as enigmatic as his life. It was speculated that the cause of his death was slow poisoning which ultimately failed his entire system. There is a story behind this speculation as well. Pillai was also famous for his squabble with Hitler. Pillai bravely demanded an apology from Hitler, who had expressed extreme racist views against the colonisation of India. Even though Pillai did receive an apology, it is suspected that an agitated Hitler instigated the slow poisoning. Pillai went to Italy for his treatment, where he eventually died.

It is ironic how the person who coined the war cry slogan of Indian liberation is now forgotten. Even though many people are not aware of Pillai's notable contribution to the Indian freedom struggle, Indian history will always revere his efforts and revolutionary actions.