THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of the 75th anniversary of Quit India agitation, a delegation of students, along with poet Sugathakumari and Minister Kadannapally Ramachandran, visited 103-year-old Gandhian Ayyappan Pillai at his residence at Thycaud in the capital.The students from Thycaud Government LP School were led by Ardra and Kaushik Madhav. They sang patriotic songs and presented flowers from the school compound to the veteran freedom fighter.
During an interaction which followed, many of the students were surprised when they knew Ayyappan Pillai was over 100 years old. As the interaction progressed, the students were joined by Sugathakumari and Kadannappally.
The programme to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Quit India struggle was organised by Shanthi Samithi. Sugathakumari sang a verse on Mahatma Gandhi and made the students sing along. In his message to students, Ayyappan Pillai asked the students to rise above considerations of religion and caste.“We should remember all Indians are one,” Ayyappan Pillai said while recollecting his meeting with the Mahatma at the age of 18 and listening eagerly to his speech.