Satyananda Somasundaran (27 July 1879 – 14 December 1959), also known as Somasundara Bharathiar, was a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

researcher, writer, professor and lawyer. He participated in the

Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu The anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu have been ongoing intermittently in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras State and part of Madras Presidency) since the early 20th century. The agitations involve several mass protes ...

. He also headed the movement for the abolition of

untouchability Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...

in Madurai.

Early life

He was born to Subramaniya Nayakkar (''Ettappa Pillai'') - Muthammal on 27 July 1879 in Ettayapuram. He was a friend of

Subramania Bharati Subramania Bharati (Born Chinnaswami Subramaniyan; 11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921) was an Indian writer, poet, journalist, teacher, Indian independence activist, social reformer and polyglot. He was bestowed the title ''Bharati'' for hi ...

, whose father worked with Somasudara Bharathi's father. Both Somasundaran and Subramaniyam went to a poetry competition. Both their poems were selected as best poems. Both were given the title Bharathi.

References

1879 births 1959 deaths Tamil poets Writers from British India {{India-writer-stub