Leaders pay tribute to dalit icon on his 58 death anniversary
Paramakudi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Leaders of various political hues paid tributes at the memorial of dalit icon Immanuel Sekaran at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram on Friday on his 58th death anniversary . The occasion turned into a competitive show of championing the cause of dalits ahead of the 2016 assembly elections.
The leaders also backed the demand by family members of Sekaran that his death anniversary be honoured by the government through an annual function. Thousands of followers thronged Sekaran's memorial.
Immanuel Sekaran, who served in the Army , later dedicated himself to working for the welfare of the dalit community . He was hacked to death by a gang in Paramakudi at the age of 33. One of his four daughters, E Sundari Prabakar Rani, urged the government to mark his death anniversary by holding an official event on a par with that of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, whose birth and death anniversary fall on the same date on October 30.
TNCC chief EVKS Elangovan voiced the same demand af ter paying homage at his memorial. He recalled that the Congress government at the Centre had released a postal stamp to commemorate Sekaran in 2010.
Dalit leader and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan also demanded that Sekaran's death anniversary be observed by the government. He said Sekaran raised his voice for dalit rights before he was killed 58 years ago.
Politicos including AIADMK minister Sellur K Raju, Ramanathapuram MP A Anwar Raja, BJP leader S R Saravanaperumal, Puthiya Tamilagam president K Krishnaswamy , DMDK leader S Singai Jinnah, Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president John Pandian and Samuel Raj of Theendamai Ozhippu Munnani paid homage at the memorial.
