Anniversary of Immanuvel Sekaran passes off peacefully in Ramnad

A large number of people from various Dalit outfits and his family members paid respects at the memorial. AIADMK functionaries along with Ministers paid respects to Immanuvel Sekaran. Minister for Social Welfare, Saroja, Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, Rajalakshmi, Minister for Information Technology, Ramanathapuram MP, Anwar Raja, along with local functionaries also paid respects.

Side-lined AIADMK Deputy General Secretary, TTV Dhinakaran, along with his supporters also paid their respect. They were followed by functionaries and former DMK Ministers. Later, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan too paid his respects at the memorial. However, Puthiya Tamilagam leader Krishnasamy who visited the memorial around 7 am, demanded mike to address the public after paying respects. Police refused his demand.

Throughout the day, a large number of people visited the memorial and the anniversary passed off peacefully. Around 4,500 policemen were stationed in and around Paramakudi for the security purpose.

Thanks to their presence, the anniversary was incident-free. According to the police, 36,000 people visited the memorial on Monday.

Krishnasamy who was at Madurai Airport to reach Paramakudi by road said that Madurai Airport should be renamed after Immanuvel Sekaran. He also said that people of Devendira Kula Vellalar community, who are currently placed

under the category of Scheduled Castes (SC), had not attained any development for the past 70 years and so they are demanding the government to take them out of the SC category. On October 6, a mega rally and conference would be held at Chennai to protest for their demand, informed Krishnasamy.

Immanuvel Sekaran from Sellur village near Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district was a freedom fighter and was an ex-army man. In 1957, he was murdered by a gang of upper caste Hindus and was buried in Paramakudi. Every year, his death anniversary is celebrated as Devendrar Jayanti.