THAARAA BAARATHY-
THE MAYAKOVSKY OF INDIA
Thaaraa barathi is an illustrious poet of Tamilnadu who had died a premature death at his early fifties.
Thaaraa Barathi can be described as ‘The Mayakovsky of India’ for his highly motivating poems, which are still a source of inspiration for the youth of Tamilnadu.
“ Do not say I am empty-handed
It is unwise;
A big fortune your ten
Fingers may rise. “
Is the famous poem written by Thaaraa Barathi which acts as a morale-booster among the unemployed youth of Tamilnadu.Most of Thaaraa Barathi’s poems have the potential to serve as a source of inspiration for its readers, irrespective
Of their age and status.
Where is our east?
Where is our dawn?
The darkness is still there;
The red sun has not yet arrived;
The day has not dawned;
We have no idea
About the eastern direction.
The time to wake up has come;
But there is no light in our area;
Unless we tear it
There will not be any dawn in the east!
Where is our east?
Where is our dawn?
Let us put a bloody tilak
Where there is darkness spread
The bloody Tilak is the red sun
Let us call it as the east!
Shout it with might!
The sun which is beyond our reach
Illuminates a part of the world and
Darkens the other part;
The shoulders of the working class
Will illuminate the whole world hereafter!
Let us call it as the east!
Shout it with might!
If all the powers were united
Then in all directions there will be sunlight
Even if we call in midnight
The sun will give light1
Let us call it as the east!
Shout it with might!
The above poem by Thaaraa Barathi, which was published under the title “This is our East”, is highly symbolic. It expresses the desire of the poet for a revolution by the working class, which will bring
Thaaraa Barathi mingled with the masses, particularly with the younger generation and motivated them by his poems.
His poems still inspire the Tamil youth and many have achieved an upward mobility for which his poems helped as a catalyst.
He can be rightly called as “The Mayakovsky of India”.
