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About VSC Pather
VSC Pather Pioneers
Added by GovinPather on 30 Sep 2008
Sunday, September 2, 2007
PIONEERS OF TAMIL IN South Africa
This is the fourteenth article in this series taken from the book “Tamil Culture in South Africa by C Kuppusami”
VYTHIALINGAM SUBRAMANIAN COOPOOSAMY PATHER (1887-1942)
Vythialingam Subramanian Pather, who hailed from Madras, emigrated to Mauritius circa 1880. After a short spell on this island, he came to South Africa as a “passenger” Indian and settled in Kimberley. It was in Kimberley that his son, Coopoosamy, was born in 1887. After a few years the family moved to Durban, which became their permanent home. Coopoosamy received his primary education in Durban at the Boys’ Secondary School (white). Here, he passed with distinction, a level of attainment then known as Collective Examination. He also attended a private Tamil school at which he came under the influence of Rajaruthna Mudaliar, Rathnasabapathy Nadar and Virudachalam Pillay, all great Tamil scholars. In this way he attained a high level of proficiency in Tamil. Coopoosamy took an interest in the promotion of Tamil culture and in the political life of the Indian community. In private life he started as a chief clerk in an accounting firm, and in 1919 he opened a Land and Estate Agency under the name V S C Pather & Son.
Contribution to the Promotion of Culture
V S C Pather loved Tamil very much and actively participated in the efforts of other Tamil leaders in the promotion of culture. He found time to make an in depth study of Saivism and Saiva devotional literature. Because of his understanding of Saivism and of the standard of his spoken Tamil, he would often be requested to speak at Tamil public meetings on Saivism and Saiva Saints. He regularly submitted articles in Tamil for the Senthamil Selvan, a Durban weekly newspaper. He served as interpreter (Tamil/English) in the Natal Supreme court. V S C Pather was closely associated with several religious and cultural bodies in Durban. He had been making a study of the administration of Hindu temples in South India and Natal, and because of his special knowledge he was given the task of drafting a new constitution for the Umgeni Road Sri Vaythianatha Easparar Alayam. He served as Trustee of the Hindu Youngmens Vedic Society and of the Hindu Tamil Institute. For the first Tamil Conference held in Durban in 1925, V S C Pather was the elected chairman. He also served as chairman of the South African Hindu Maha Saba and as Trustee of the Gandhi-Tagore Lectureship Trust, whose sponsorship enabled eminent persons from India to visit South Africa to speak on facets of Hinduism.
Other Activities
V S C Pather was one time President of the South African Indian Congress, which worked for the betterment of Indians. He drafted petitions and memoranda for submission to the government and authorities in power. He also led deputations to Cape Town and Pretoria. He was President of the Durban Indian Surf Life Saving Club and an active member of the Durban Indian Child Welfare Society.
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VSC Pather's Timeline
| 1887 |
1887
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEATH NOTICE MSCE: 36128/1942 PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN "THE ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES ACT, 1913" =========================== 1. Name of the deceased: VYTHILINGA SOOBRAMANIA COOPOOSAMY PATHER 2. Birthplace and Nationality of the deceased : KIMBERLY, CAPE PROVINCE, INDIAN Father: VYTHILINGA SOOBRAMANIA PATHER 3. Names and Addresses of the }Both deceased Parents of the deceased Mother: PARVATHI 4. Age of the deceased: 55 years --- months. 5. Occupation in the life of the deceased, or, if a woman, of her husband : RETIRED ESTATE AGENT 6. Ordinary place of residence of the deceased, 26 BEATRICE STREET, DURBAN or, if a woman, of her husband : 7. Married or unmarried, widower or widow: MARRIED (a) Name of surviving spouse (if any), and whether: THANALUTCHMEE married in community of property or not : OUT OF COMMUNITY (b) Name or Names and approximate date of death - of pre-deceased spouse or spouses :
( c) Place of last marriage : PORAYAR, INDIA 8. The day of the decease: 20 DECEMBER 1942 House: 26 BEATRICE STREET 9. Where the person died: Town or place: Durban District: 10. Names of the children of the deceased, and MARAGATHAVELLI - Whether majors or minors: COOPOOSAMY JAGATHESAN PATHER MAJORS COOPOOSAMY NADASEN PATHER THAYANITHY MEENATCHI - MINOR DAUGHTER – BORN 26/6/25 COOPOOSAMY SACHIDANANDAN - MINOR SON – 25/9/1931
11. Has the deceased left any movable property? YES 12. Has the deceased left any immovable property? Yes 13. Is it estimated that the estate exceeds £300 in value? YES 14. Has the deceased left a will? YES Dated at Durban the 18th day of JANUARY 1943 (Signature): THANALUTCHMEE
WIDOW OF THE DECEASED – PRESENT AT DEATH AND SAW DEAD BODY
(State in what capacity and whether at the time at or near the place of death) This notice must be filled up and signed by the Nearest Relative or Connection of the deceased, who shall, at the time, be at or near the place of death - or in the absence of such near Relative or Connection, by the person who, at or immediately after the death, shall have the chief charge of the house in, or the place on, which the death occurred, and must be sent either to the Master, or, if the death occurred in a district wherein a seat of provincial government is not situate, the Magistrate of the District, in duplicate, within fourteen days of the death.
THIS INFORMATION IS COPIED FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, AND THIS OFFICE ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR MISINTERPRETATIONS THAT MAY BE RECORDED ON THIS FORM.
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| 1914 |
July 4, 1914
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Durban South, Durban Metro, KZN, South Africa
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| 1922 |
March 11, 1922
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| 1925 |
June 26, 1925
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| 1942 |
December 20, 1942
Age 55
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DEATH NOTICE MSCE: 36128/1942 PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN "THE ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES ACT, 1913" =========================== 1. Name of the deceased: VYTHILINGA SOOBRAMANIA COOPOOSAMY PATHER 2. Birthplace and Nationality of the deceased : KIMBERLY, CAPE PROVINCE, INDIAN Father: VYTHILINGA SOOBRAMANIA PATHER 3. Names and Addresses of the }Both deceased Parents of the deceased Mother: PARVATHI 4. Age of the deceased: 55 years --- months. 5. Occupation in the life of the deceased, or, if a woman, of her husband : RETIRED ESTATE AGENT 6. Ordinary place of residence of the deceased, 26 BEATRICE STREET, DURBAN or, if a woman, of her husband : 7. Married or unmarried, widower or widow: MARRIED (a) Name of surviving spouse (if any), and whether: THANALUTCHMEE married in community of property or not : OUT OF COMMUNITY (b) Name or Names and approximate date of death - of pre-deceased spouse or spouses :
( c) Place of last marriage : PORAYAR, INDIA 8. The day of the decease: 20 DECEMBER 1942 House: 26 BEATRICE STREET 9. Where the person died: Town or place: Durban District: 10. Names of the children of the deceased, and MARAGATHAVELLI - Whether majors or minors: COOPOOSAMY JAGATHESAN PATHER MAJORS COOPOOSAMY NADASEN PATHER THAYANITHY MEENATCHI - MINOR DAUGHTER – BORN 26/6/25 COOPOOSAMY SACHIDANANDAN - MINOR SON – 25/9/1931
11. Has the deceased left any movable property? YES 12. Has the deceased left any immovable property? Yes 13. Is it estimated that the estate exceeds £300 in value? YES 14. Has the deceased left a will? YES Dated at Durban the 18th day of JANUARY 1943 (Signature): THANALUTCHMEE
WIDOW OF THE DECEASED – PRESENT AT DEATH AND SAW DEAD BODY
(State in what capacity and whether at the time at or near the place of death) This notice must be filled up and signed by the Nearest Relative or Connection of the deceased, who shall, at the time, be at or near the place of death - or in the absence of such near Relative or Connection, by the person who, at or immediately after the death, shall have the chief charge of the house in, or the place on, which the death occurred, and must be sent either to the Master, or, if the death occurred in a district wherein a seat of provincial government is not situate, the Magistrate of the District, in duplicate, within fourteen days of the death.
THIS INFORMATION IS COPIED FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, AND THIS OFFICE ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR MISINTERPRETATIONS THAT MAY BE RECORDED ON THIS FORM.
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