Stalin to pay tribute to Muthuramalinga Thevar on 118th birth anniversary tomorrow

Chennai, Oct 29 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will pay floral tributes to freedom fighter and national leader Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on his 118th birth anniversary and Guru Puja day at his memorial in Pasumpon, Ramanathapuram district, on Thursday.

According to a government release, several ministers will accompany the Chief Minister during the event, which is observed annually with great reverence.

Simultaneously, in Chennai, floral tributes will be offered to Thevar’s statues across the city on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government. The release recalled that in 2007, during the tenure of late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, the Tamil Nadu government had grandly celebrated Thevar’s centenary.

His ancestral home in Pasumpon was renovated, and several public facilities were established, including a memorial hall, museum, library, auditorium, and gallery dedicated to his life and contributions.

To honour his legacy further, the government also named three colleges after him — in Nallur (Thanjavur district), Kamuthi (Ramanathapuram district), and Usilampatti (Madurai district).

Continuing this tradition of recognition, Chief Minister Stalin inaugurated the Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Memorial Auditorium on October 28, 2024. The facility, built by the Tamil Nadu government at the Pasumpon memorial site, stands as a lasting tribute to the leader’s ideals of equality, courage, and patriotism.

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a towering figure in India’s freedom movement and an influential leader of the Thevar community, continues to command deep respect across Tamil Nadu.

His philosophy blended nationalism with social harmony, and his contributions to the temple entry movement and social justice remain pivotal chapters in the State’s political history.

Every year, thousands of devotees, followers, and political leaders cutting across party lines gather at Pasumpon to mark his birth and death anniversaries, both of which fall on October 30.

The event, known as Thevar Jayanthi and Guru Puja, is one of Tamil Nadu’s most significant commemorative occasions, symbolising reverence, unity, and remembrance of a leader who remains an enduring icon of Tamil pride and nationalism.

--IANS

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