Madurai
Thoothukudi District Revenue Officer Veerappan paid homage to him by offering flowers to a photo of Vanchinathan at the Vanchi Maniyachchi railway station, named after the freedom fighter.
Many officials and writers participated in the function and paid homage to Vanchinathan.
Vanchinathan was a legendary freedom fighter from Tenkasi. On June 17, 1911, he shot then Tirunelveli Collector Robert William Ashe at the Maniyachi railway station.
Ashe along with his family was traveling in the Boat mail and when the train stopped at the Maniyachi station, Vanchinathan entered the compartment in which Ashe was travelling and shot him.
Following it, Vanchinathan hid in a toilet in the railway station and committed suicide by shooting himself with the same gun which he used to shoot Ashe.
The murder of Ashe was the only killing of an English official during the freedom struggle in south India and to honour Vanchinathan, the central government renamed the Maniyachi railway station to Vanchi Maniyachi railway station, adding the name of the freedom fighter.
Also, the state government observes the death anniversary of Vanchinathan as a government function.
It is the only death anniversary that is observed as a government function in the state.
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