Dalit icon Immanuel Sekaran remembered on 67th death anniversary
State Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udhayanidhi Stalin laid a wreath and paid his homage on behalf of the State governmen
Udhayanidhi paying floral tributes at the Dalit leader’s memorial
MADURAI: Leaders of various political parties, Dalit outfits and hundreds of people paid homage to freedom fighter and veteran leader hailing from the Scheduled Castes community Immanuel Sekaran on his 67th death anniversary at his memorial in Paramakudi district on Wednesday.
State Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udhayanidhi Stalin laid a wreath and paid his homage on behalf of the State government. He was accompanied by State ministers KR Periakaruppan, RS Rajakannappan, Thangam Thennarasu, P Moorthy, DMK MPs and MLAs.
After paying tributes, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai said, it was the Congress party, which released a commemorative postage stamp in 2010 in recognition of Immanuel Sekaran, in recognition of his service to the society on the whole and Dalits in specific.
Police made tight security arrangements deploying over 6,000 personnel under the direct supervision of ADGP (Law and Order), S Davidson Devasirvatham. But Selvaperunthagai expressed discontent over ‘poor’ arrangements.
The occasion went off smoothly as the gathering behaved themselves. “It is certainly concerning that the Ramanathapuram police were lethargic in their approach to security," he said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin in a post on 'X' said, “Today is the memorial day of Thyagi (martyr) Immanuel Sekaranar, who fought for the eradication of untouchability and to restore social justice. 'Let us honour his life for working for the country and the upliftment of the downtrodden,” he said.
Immanuel Sekaran, an ex-serviceman had fought against the social injustice meted out to Dalits and he was actively involved in the depressed classes' movement. He also created awareness among the Dalit community to fight against oppression and propagated the importance of education to the community.
He was murdered in Paramakudi when he was just 33 years old in 1957.
Former AIADMK Ministers RB Udhayakumar, VM Rajalakshmi, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief S Seeman, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran, Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) leader John Pandian, DMDK, VCK, MDMK leaders paid their respects to the late leader at the memorial.