Ukkirapandi Muthuramalinga Thevar was born on 30 October 1908 in Pasumpon, Ramnathapuram, which was part of Madras Presidency under British rule in India. Muthuramalinga Thevar’s father remarried after his wife passed away. His maternal grandmother Parvathiammal was angry and unhappy with Muthuramalinga Thevar’s father for having taken two new wives shortly after the death of his second wife. Parvathiammal took care of Ukkirapandi for many years. The grandmother-grandson duo lived in Kallupatti.
Kuzhanthaisami Pillai, a close family friend of his father, took responsibility for arranging Muthuramalinga Thevar’s schooling. Initially, he was given private tuition, and in June 1917, he began attending classes at an elementary school run by American missionaries. Later, he joined the Pasumalai High School, which is near present-day Thirupparankundaram, and then he shifted to the Union Christian High School in Madurai in the Madras Presidency region. He couldn’t finish his studies owing to family circumstances.
There are outstanding reasons why we should never forget to revere the great Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.
He was a great leader in the 20th-century Tamil Nadu of Bharat. In the beginning, he was a full-time member of the Congress Party. Later, he left the Congress because he became disappointed by the Congress Party and became the leader of the All-India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and was its National Deputy Chairman from 1952. He was also a close friend and associate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and took part in the freedom struggle against the British. In fact, Netaji introduced Pasumpon Thevar as his ‘younger sibling’ to his mother.
Pasumpon also stood against the cruel Criminal Tribes Act enacted in 1920 by the government of the Madras Presidency during British rule. He was instrumental in getting the Act repealed in 1946.
He also formed and led the Pasumalai Mahalakshmi Mill Workers’ Union, the Madura Knitting Company Labour Union, and the Meenakshi Mill Workers’ Union in the Madras Presidency.
He is worshipped as a deity by many members of the Mukulathor community comprising Kallars, Maravars, and Ahambadiars as he fought for their rights and gave away most of his wealth and property to the poor. He was a very generous and people-oriented person.
He never opposed Hinduism as such although he opposed the superstitions and the caste system within Hinduism.
He hated the practice of untouchability and was a crusader for the Harijans. He supported the Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act passed by C. Rajaji in 1939, which removed the restrictions prohibiting Dalits from entering Hindu temples. In July 1939, he supported the social activist, A Vaidyanatha Iyer in taking Dalits to enter the Madurai Meenakshi temple.
He was a deeply spiritual person and a great humanitarian. His birthday and Guru Pooja are celebrated on 30 October, every year. His 117th birthday and 62nd Guru Pooja will be celebrated this year (2024) at his birth district of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu as well as all over Tamil Nadu, Bharat, and the world.
Dr. S. Padmapriya is an author and thinker based out of Chennai.
Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.