KS Nagarajan
As we mark 18 November 2025, the birth anniversary of the great patriot and Swadeshi Shipping Company founder V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, it is worth reflecting on how Bharat has historically treated its own visionaries, reformers, and nation-builders.
From the days of Galileo, who was persecuted for simply declaring scientific truth, to our own national heroes, history is filled with examples of courageous individuals punished for challenging entrenched powers.
V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, who dared to challenge colonial business interests, was subjected to brutal and inhuman treatment in jail—ironically at the hands of Indian policemen serving British masters.
Similarly, Shri Nambi Narayanan became a victim of political crossfire in the Cryogenic Engine conspiracy and was tortured by a compromised CBI.
Col. Purohit, a valiant soldier who swore to defend Bharat’s sovereignty, suffered unimaginable torture under Hemant Karkare—whose actions were applauded by the then Home Minister seeking to satisfy his political masters. This was the same dispensation that irresponsibly pushed the “Hindu terror” narrative to divert attention from ISI-sponsored attacks. And it was the same leadership under whom our currency-printing machinery landed in the hands of international criminal networks.
We have also seen how corruption damages national interest.
A major PSU manufacturing electrical machines once lost a massive tender to a Chinese company because it quoted inflated prices driven by corrupt practices. When the PSU tried to blame the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, a Union Minister—himself from a respected patriotic lineage—investigated the matter thoroughly. He confirmed that the PSU had indeed overquoted, and allowed TNEB to buy the cheaper alternative. Even the Madras High Court upheld this decision. Yet the PSU continued to malign the minister.
The same “eminent economist” who courted terrorists to please his political masters also saw his daughters working with Soros-linked organisations—later becoming celebrated authors. The irony is not lost.
It remains a mystery why so many educated Indians chase a U.S. Green Card at any cost. Is it ego? Vanity? Social pressure? Especially when Bharat’s own IITs, ISRO, and DRDO have produced world-class scientists and innovations like Chandrayaan, BrahMos, and Covaxin—achievements that made the world take notice.
Yet, policies like the repeal of the MRTP Act opened the floodgates for multinational corporations to crush small Indian village industries. These foreign companies sell beverages made with artificial colours and chemicals, while traditional local units—capable of producing cleaner, cheaper juices—struggle to survive.
This contrast reveals the spectrum of virtues and vices in our society.
Our defence services continue to display unmatched dedication, risking their lives every moment. Meanwhile, corruption in recruitment, poor quality of teaching, lack of support for innovators, and morally compromised public servants contribute to national decline.
If spiritual leaders can transform lives, and anti-national groups can brainwash educated professionals into suicide bombers, it is also true that some of our brightest minds run after foreign passports while others fall prey to corruption. Only a few uphold integrity in public life.
When we compare leaders like Modi Ji and Ajit Doval Ji with those driven by appeasement, greed, or foreign loyalty, we understand the urgent need for systemic reform.
This is why Quarterly Digitalised Compliance Declarations, even for powerful institutions, must become mandatory.
And Bharat must nationalise the capitation-fee–driven private education business, just as earlier governments nationalised banks.
A two-shift system of professional education, integrated with the Apprentices Act of 1961, can revolutionise industry–academia collaboration and make Bharat truly Śreṣṭha.
As a 1971 War Veteran, a hands-on Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, and an innovator committed to serving society, I write not out of complaint but conviction. My health and finances are limited, yet I continue my mission: to gift Bharat an innovative machine that can help create entrepreneurs, incubators, and employment at scale. Popular universities have not supported me, but with the right institutional backing—even for a few days—I can complete and dedicate this machine to the nation.
The world still views Bharat as the land of sages. It is time we live up to that legacy and re-establish our global identity as the fountainhead of Advaita and spiritual wisdom.
