Gokhale Hall: The politcal gym of Madras

CHENNAI: Armenian street was the traditional financial hub in Black Town. An offshoot of China bazaar, it had the Armenian diaspora living here after their country had been destroyed by the Turks in medieval Europe. Later, social, religious and commercial establishments like St Mary’s Hall and the Binny Headquarters came up on this road. Further down it would branch into the coral merchant street where the Jews and later the Nattukottai Chettiars made money.

But the political importance of this road started much earlier with a greater impact. If a building can be so desolate today, after having played such a huge role in the political thought and cultural expansion of Madras city it’s truly Gokhale hall.

In 1914, Annie Besant founded the Young Men’s Indian Association which was meant to provide a political gym to equip the youth with a capacity both physically and mentally to visualise the country’s traditions. For such students, Besant built the Gokhale Hall as a hostel, library, canteen, gymnasium and a large auditorium where she organised mock parliaments, to train youth in public speaking.

Built with the personal funds of Besant, it was named after Gopala Krishna Gokhale for he died just when the building was being completed. She might have intended another name for her pet project but this must have been due to political compulsions. The hall became a focus of the Independence Movement in Madras.

In response to Tilak’s Home Rule Movement, it was in this building that Besant helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for dominion status for India within the British Empire. In 1917, she became the first woman president of the organisation and launched her presidency with a series of lectures called ‘Wake up India’. She was promptly arrested and sent to Ooty but managed to squeeze in one of the most well-attended lectures in this hall before that.

Gandhi, Nehru and Sarojini Naidu have spoken to spellbound audiences here. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan confessed that he was awestruck with the sway of public speaking by attending meetings here.

Any movement in Madras worth its place in history had its beginnings in Gokhale Hall. So popular had it become that unexpected crowds thronged the hall when important programs were held. The Corporation would fine the hall for overcrowding but the best of lawyers were on its board and reduced the fines to a measly 2 Rupees.

Wadia of the Labour Movement used this venue to launch the famous Binny Strikes. In this place, Periyar spoke on the need for self-respect. Gandhi a keen adherent of Hindustani language learning launched his learn Hindi Movement. The Tamil Isai Sangam which fought against Telegu centricity in the Carnatic music arena also formed with the hall in mind. With such contradictory views being addressed so often, Gokhale Hall had fulfilled Besant’s dream of a gymnasium for mental faculties.

To make the hall sustainable, the auditorium was hired out for musical programs. George Town was fast becoming a commercial centre and most of the patrons had moved to South Madras. The fantastic acoustics of the hall made it the best venue for the newly organised sabhas to attract their Rasikas. The Gokhale Hall was the most important reason sabhas were formed in the Black Town. Music Academy and Indian Fine Arts Society had regular performances in the Hall. Kalakshetra would have an annual dance program in memory of Besant.

Gokhale soon became a venue without biases. However, there was one bias that Besant sadly left behind. Annie Besant would insist that the traditional Tamil musicians- the Isai Vellalars should not perform in her hall. This was because she probably thought the community was being degraded because of their art. Young MS Subbulakshmi, though given a chance for her first performance by a sabha, could not sing here. Annie did not understand at that point in time that this led to a snowballing effect by which other communities higher on the social ladder appropriated these arts of song and dance from the community.

Late in the century, the YMIA decided to demolish the historic hall and replace it with a concrete monstrosity that could be a cash cow. However, heritage activists of the city had it stayed in court. And it now exists as a pretty unknown building on the Armenian street with pedestrians largely ignorant of its hoary history walking by.

— The writer is a historian and an author