UNKNOWN

This is a fascinating account of the Indian freedom struggle from subaltern viewpoints.

In August 1973, Ambujammal wrote her autobiography, Naan Kanda Bharatham (The India I Saw), a riveting and insightful account of life as it was in Madras (later Chennai) through almost a century, with the freedom struggle as the background.

Hers was not a happy life, and even as the book traces India’ s journey to becoming an independent nation, it also documents the decline of what was once a proud family. Taken overall, it was a life of achievements but with many crosses to bear.

What is remarkable is that Ambujammal chooses not to dwell on the problems and instead focuses on the bigger causes that need support. As one reads the book, it appears as though she asks the reader to judge her on whether her life contributed, even in an infinitesimally small way, to the betterment of the motherland. On that score, it has to be said she triumphs.

The India I Saw is a must-read for anyone who wishes to explore a woman’ s life in India during the twentieth century.

S. Ambujammal (1899– 1981) was born into great wealth, her father being a top-ranking lawyer of Madras, yet she chose a life typical of many women of colonial India, who at huge personal sacrifice opted to serve the nation. She underwent imprisonment for the cause and later, post India’ s Independence, dedicated her life to social service. On the passing of the Mahatma in 1948, she founded the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam, named after her biological and spiritual fathers (Sriman Srinivasa Iyengar and M.K. Gandhi), an organization devoted to women’ s welfare which continues to operate even today. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

A memory keeper by passion, Sriram V. delves deep into the history of India, particularly South India and the city of Chennai. He has authored over 25 books on subjects including Carnatic music, corporate biographies, and Chennai. Sriram writes for The Hindu and is editor of Madras Musings, the fortnightly dedicated to Chennai’ s built, natural and cultural heritage. He is also Secretary of the Music Academy, Madras, in which capacity he is the convenor of its annual conference in December.