Varahaneri Venkatesa Subramaniam Aiyar, also known as V. V. S. Aiyar, was an Indian revolutionary from Tamil Nadu who fought against the British occupation of India. ⁣
⁣
Aiyar was also a Tamil writer and is considered as the father of modern Tamil short story. He also translated the Ramavatharam of Kambar and Tirukkrual⁣ into English. V.V.S Aiyar is mentor of Vanchinathan.⁣
⁣
Aiyar was born in the suburb of Varahaneri in Tiruchi. After his early education, he studied in St. Joseph’s College. He then moved to Rangoon in 1906 and started practising as a junior in the Chambers of an English Barrister. From Rangoon, he left for London in 1907 and enrolled in Lincoln’s Inn aiming to becoming a Barrister at Law. ⁣
⁣
While in London, Aiyar came into contact with Savarkar,at the India House. Under Savarkar’s influence Aiyar began to take an active role in the militant struggle for Indian independence. ⁣
⁣
Aiyar’s militant attitude prompted the British Raj in 1910 to issue a warrant for his arrest for his alleged involvement in an anarchist conspiracy in London and Paris. Aiyar resigned from the Lincoln’s Inn and escaped to Paris. Aiyar landed in Pondicherry on 4 4 December 1910 disguised as a muslim to escape arrest and remained there as exile. ⁣
⁣
While in Pondicherry, Aiyar met with fellow revolutionaries
Subramanya Bharathi and Aurobindo. Aiyar was a close friend of Shuddhananda Bharati; he started with him the Bharadwaja Ashram at Cheranmadevi.⁣
⁣
In Pondicherry, Aiyar was involved in the plot to assassinate Ashe, the Collector of Tirunelveli. One of his students, Vanchinathan assassinated Ashe. Thus more trouble arose for Aiyar and his companion Subramanya Bharathi.⁣
⁣
In world war I the German cruiser SMS Emden entered the Madras harbour and bombarded the city. The British colonial government blamed this on the activities of the exiles in Pondicherry.⁣
⁣
Aiyar returned to Madras after World War I and was arrested in 1921 on sedition charges. He spent nine months in prison. While in prison Aiyar wrote the book A Study of Kamba Ramayana.⁣
⁣
Aiyar drowned in the Papanasam falls, when trying to save his drowning daughter Subhadra, on 3 June 1925.⁣