01Ships for Tuticorin
Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai was born at Ottapidaram near Tirunelveli and practised law at Tuticorin. The steamer trade between Tuticorin and Colombo was held by the British India Steam Navigation Company. In October 1906 he registered the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company with Indian shareholders, and bought two steamers, the Gallia and the Lawoe. The British line cut fares to nothing to ruin him and officials pressed merchants not to ship with him, but the Swadeshi ships ran. In early 1908 he and Subramania Siva led a strike at the British-owned Coral Mills in Tuticorin.
02The oil press in Coimbatore jail
He was arrested on 12 March 1908, and Tirunelveli rose in riot the next day. In July 1908 he was sentenced to two terms of transportation for life, cut down on appeal. In Coimbatore jail he was yoked to the oil press like a bullock, which is why Tamil Nadu also calls him Sekkizhuththa Semmal. He was released in December 1912 to find his company wound up and his practice gone. He later wrote Tamil commentaries on the Tirukkural and Tolkappiyam and died at Tuticorin on 18 November 1936. The port of Tuticorin is now the V. O. Chidambaranar Port.
