THE FRENCH COLONY THAT FOUGHT THE BRITISH !
Puducherry (Pondicherry) today is famous for Shri Aurobindo’s Ashram& Auroville But during the 19 th and early 20 th centuries, it played a crucial role in the fight against both British and the French imperialism.
Pondicherry has a unique place in the history of the freedom movement. It played a twin role, first it had to fight for its own freedom from the French and secondly, it gave an active support to the Independence struggle against the British. Great nationalists like Shri Aurobindo and Subramaniam Bharathi took asylum in Pondicherry when Britishers were out to arrest them. During Bharathi’s stay in Pondicherry, he wrote “ India” after it was banned in Madras by the British administration. It was in Pondicherry the revolutionary V.V.Subramaniya Iyer gave arms training to Vanchinathan, the youth who later killed the then Tirunelveli Collector ASHE, a Brit.
The freedom movement, in French dominated parts of India dates back from the days the British left India. However, even earlier there were agitations now and then against the French rulers.Way back in 1787 and 1791, farmers of Karaikal agitated against the heavy land tax imposed by the French. The first war if Indian Independence had its impact in the French settlements but it did not attract the attention of the rulers, as the incidents were few and considered as local. In 1873, an advocate Ponnuthambi Pillai, moved the Paris court and won the case in which he was awarded a penalty by a French Magistrate in Pondicherry for walking into the court with footwear.
The freedom movement in the British India had its echo in Pondicherry too. There were students agitations in 1927 and 1930 which exhibited their sentiments. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Bal Gangadhara Tilak visited Pondicherry and its other enclaves and addressed the meetings. In 1934, ”Swatantram” a monthly was started by veteran freedom fighter and trade union leader V. Subbiah for the cause of workers and the country.
In 1946, the French India Congress was formed with the objectives of integrating the French possessions with India. Later next year, the French India Students Congress adopted a resolution on merger. In January 1948, the French People’s Convention passed a resolution expressing its determination to merge the French possessions with the motherland.
The new Government under Jawaharlal Nehru, India signed an agreement with France in June 1948 which gave power to the people for determining the political status of their land and integrating the French Indian territories with the country.
Finally, the treaty of cession was signed by India and France in May 1956.It was ratified by the French Parliament in May 1962.On August 16, 1962, India and France exchanged the instruments of ratification under which France ceded to India’s full sovereignty over the territories it held. Pondicherry and other enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam came to be administered as Union Territory of Pondicherry from July 1, 1963.
In pondicherry, you get good olden days cars. Infact while I was in Chennai, I purchased a Morris Minor car from a very old family in Pondicherry which costed me around 35k.
Pondicherry can be reached from Chennai traveling by Bus covering a distance of approximately 150 kms in 3 to 4 hours.Meter gauge Train services available from Villupuram 40 kms of pondicherry. Few good hotels are: St. James Court Beach Ressort, Pooranankuppam village, Ariyankuppam. Hotel Surya International. 55, Rangapillai Street.