A historical novel shouldn’t be the story of kings; it should be the story of the people they ruled over, and Prapanchan’s ‘Vaanam Vasappadum’ fits the bill, said Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, who reviewed the book for Tamizh Puthaka Nanbargal. Prapanchan’s book embodies the three distinguishing features of Tamil culture - Iyal (poetry), Isai (music) and Natakam (drama), Sujatha observed. There is poesy in Prapanchan’s style; he has included padams, which he composed; there is also drama not just in the events, but in the conversations that the characters have.
Sujatha said the book was like a ‘kaaviyam’- an epic poem. A ‘kaaviyam’ must have certain features, one of which is an incomparable hero. And in ‘Vaanam Vasappadum,’ such a hero is Ananda Ranga Pillai.
Pillai is the chief interpreter to Dupleix- the French Governor of Pondicherry. He is astute, diplomatic, honest and strives to do the best for his countrymen, but is also aware of his limitations. Proximity to the Governor does not confer unlimited powers on him, and this becomes clear when agitated devotees ask him to intervene and stop the demolition of the Vedapuriswarar temple in Pondicherry. All Pillai says to them is: “Save the idols.” He knows he can do no more, for Dupleix has a mission - to convert the population to Christianity, and Pillai is powerless to stop him.
Dupleix is another historical figure who becomes an interesting character in the book. Quoting poet Vairamuthu, Sujatha said that foreigners came to India as traders and became rulers, while today’s rulers have become traders. In either case, the ones who suffer are the people and Prapanchan’s book captures their problems. Dupleix was not sent to India to expand French rule, but to capitalise on the country’s commercial strengths. But he set himself a three fold agenda - to expand trade, to spread French rule and to proselytise.
Alongside all these political tensions, runs a thread of romance. One sees it in the conversations between Pillai and his wife, and also in Dupleix’s love for Jeanne, a married woman, with 11 children. Dupleix marries her when she becomes a widow. But Jeanne proves to be Dupleix’s nemesis. She borrows money from moneylenders, which she then lends to her husband at a higher rate of interest. She has an army of thugs to terrorise people. Her hired goons go all the way to Madras to extort money from the rich. Dupleix knows of her shenanigans but expresses his inability to rein her in.
Some of the incidents in the book give one a sense of déjà vu. For example, a newly arrived Christian priest is appalled to find worshippers segregated on the basis of caste. He wants no such barriers.
But the rich, upper caste Christians complain to Jeanne, and she instructs the priest not to interfere, as their support is important to the French!
All of these incidents - the destruction of temples; the aggressive proselytisation; the caste discriminations; the slave trade, where not only are people sold, but a whip is thrown in free - are all recorded history. But the beauty of the book is that while it shakes one up in many ways, it still makes one go back to it, for a re-read. Sujatha concluded by saying that it had all the elements needed for a film, and hoped a sequel would follow. She said drawing pictures for a historical posed a great challenge and artist Maniam Selvan, who had done the illustrations for the story, had risen to the occasion.
Responding to the review and also to questions from the audience, Prapanchan said that his interest in Pillai was sparked off when he read an essay about him in a newspaper. The essay showed Dupleix in an expansive mood, after the French had captured Madras.
Dupleix asked Pillai what he wanted. But Pillai kept asking for favours for others, and then the Governor said, “Yes, but what do you want, for yourself?” Pillai replied, “God gives me what I need.” The wisdom, practicality and simplicity of that reply made Prapanchan read Pillai’s diaries.
Years of research followed, before he came up with ‘Maanidam Vellum’ and then with its sequel, ‘Vaanam Vasappadum.’
He drew attention to Dupleix’s ignominious end in France. Dupleix was accused of acting against French interests and his property was confiscated. He died before he could be arrested.
One hundred years later, a researcher pointed out to the French Government that Dupleix had been the best French Governor in India, and official opinion against him was revised, with the result that three statues of Dupleix were set up, one of them in Pondicherry. Prapanchan said that he was inspired by the response of readers to write a sequel to ‘Vaanam Vasappadum.’
