TAMIL NADU: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, former Chief Ministers M K Stalin and Edappadi K Palaniswami and a host of leaders and public paid tributes to freedom fighter and spiritual leader Muthuramalinga Thevar at his memorial in Pasumpon near here on Friday, marking his 119th birth anniversary and 64th guru puja.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay paid floral tributes to the statue of Thevar in Chennai.
Hundreds of people turned up at the freedom fighter’s memorial since morning to pay their tributes, which began amid tight police security, with law enforcement deploying 10,000 personnel, installing 400 CCTV cameras, and establishing 38 observation towers to monitor the crowd. In addition, the police have enforced strict traffic regulations.
In neighbouring Madurai, where an imposing statue of Thevar is located at Goripalayam junction, the police have enforced traffic regulations and deployed personnel to ensure smooth activity for the day as political party leaders and cadres garlanded the statue and later drove to Kamuthi in Pasumpon to pay tributes at his memorial.
The ruling TVK ministers, including R Nirmal Kumar, P Mathan Raja and V K Rajeev, and scores of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party functionaries garlanded the prominent statue at Goripalayam junction and later at Pasumpon.
Vice President Radhakrishnan, accompanied by Governor Arlekar, and former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan offered floral tributes to the decorated statue at the memorial.
Later, speaking to reporters, the Vice President said Thevar was a staunch follower of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and played a vital role in the national and spiritual awakening of the Tamil region. He is remembered for never compromising his principles for political gain, even though he had the potential to become a chief minister, he said.
Stalin and Palaniswami arrived in Madurai to offer floral tributes to the statue of Thevar at Goripalayam junction and later at the memorial in Pasumpon.
Former AIADMK leader V K Sasikala and Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman also paid their tributes.
CM Vijay paid rich tributes to Thevar on the occasion, highlighting his legacy as a freedom fighter who synthesised nationalism, spirituality, and social justice.
Thevar cherished patriotism and spirituality as his two eyes, the chief minister said, praising his powerful, courageous oratory skills that sparked the flame of freedom among the public.
Vijay highlighted how Thevar passionately spread Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s ideals, mobilised crucial support for the Indian National Army (INA), and fought relentlessly for the nation’s independence.
In a post on ‘X’, Vijay stressed that Muthuramalinga Thevar transcended the boundaries of caste and religion, prioritising humanism as his very life breath, and called upon the people to continuously tread on this idealistic path.
The Thevar Jayanthi and guru puja mark the birth anniversary and also the memorial day of Muthuramalingam Thevar, who was also a political leader and social activist. He played a major role in the Indian independence movement and regional social reforms in the Madras region.
He was a pillar of the All India Forward Bloc and was a strong voice for militant nationalism against British rule and actively participated in the Quit India Movement, which led to multiple periods of imprisonment by the British.
One of his most significant triumphs was leading massive campaigns against the discriminatory British Criminal Tribes Act, which unfairly branded certain communities as criminals by birth. His persistent protests contributed to the act being repealed in 1946 (and completely phased out by 1948).
On the social reforms front, along with activist A Vaidyanatha Iyer, he spearheaded the historic 1939 Meenakshi Goddess Temple Entry Movement in Madurai, helping secure rights for the marginalised communities to enter the temple. Due to his dual contributions as a revolutionary political leader and a community reformer, he is widely commemorated every year on October 30 (his birth and death anniversaries fall on the same day) with official state honours.
At the memorial, a 13.5 kg golden armour (Kavacham) gifted by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2014 for the Thevar Jayanthi and guru puja adorned the statue of the freedom fighter.
It was formally retrieved from the Bank of India branch vault on Anna Nagar main road, Madurai, with AIADMK treasurer Dindigul C Srinivasan completing the mandatory legal and bank formalities along with the memorial’s hereditary custodian, Gandhimeenal Natarajan.
The armour was transported with armed police security by road to Pasumpon village.
Upon arrival, it was ceremoniously placed on the life-sized statue of Thevar to mark the commencement of the three-day festival. The organisers said the golden armour will remain on the statue through the weekend to allow thousands of devotees and political party leaders to pay their respects, after which it will be safely returned to the bank vault on November 2.
