MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin and leaders of various political parties paid floral tributes to freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on his 116th birth anniversary (Thevar Jayanti) on Monday.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues garlanded Thevar's statue in Goripalayam, here, and also visited his memorial in Pasumpon in neighbouring Ramanathapuram district and paid homage.
Thereafter, the Chief Minister appealed to the people to draw inspiration on the social upliftment and social harmony from the life of Muthuramalingam Thevar and elevate themselves.
The occasion is also observed as the 61st Guru puja day.
Muthuramalinga Thevar (October 30, 1908 - October 29, 1963), who supported Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, was instrumental in strengthening the INA - Indian National Army
Leaders of several political parties descend upon Madurai and Pasumpon annually to pay homage to this Forward Bloc leader.
The Governor paid floral tributes to a portrait of Muthuramalinga Thevar at the Raj Bhavan here and said the nation remembered the great freedom fighter and close associate of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary with gratitude.
"His sacrifices will continue inspiring us to build Bharat a great nation," the Governor said in a post on the social media platform X.
Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant, accompanied by BJP state chief K Annamalai and others, paid tributes in Madurai.
"Offered tributes to the staunch nationalist Shri Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his birth anniversary along with @BJPTamilNadu president Shri @annamalai_k and BJP leaders and karyakarthas," he said on X.
"He was a freedom fighter, a politician, and a guru of Thevar community. He worked for the society with nationalism and divinity as his strong arms. His contribution to the society will always be remembered and inspire generations," Sawant said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accompanied by former State Ministers: Sellur K Raju, Dindigul Srinivasan, among others, paid homage.
He hailed Muthuramalinga Thevar as a great leader among national leaders and recalled his axiom that he regarded "nationalism and spiritualism as his two eyes."
Ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam general secretary T T V Dhinakaran, and DMDK leader Premalatha took paid their tributes.