MADURAI: Expressing its displeasure over people’s attempts to give caste colour to freedom fighters instead of remembering them for their valour, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently upheld an order passed by the Ramanathapuram collector rejecting a man’s application seeking permission to install a bronze statue of freedom fighter Veerapandiya Kattabomman in his private land in Udaikulam village in the district.
Hearing a petition filed by S Kumarasamy, challenging the rejection order dated November 7, 2025, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy noted that the collector had rejected permission only on the ground that the petitioner and his caste people were trying to give caste colour to Kattabomman by making the above request. In the rejection order, the authorities have noted with pain how the installation of statues and memorials of some great leaders who fought for our freedom is now taking a caste consolidation and shape, the judge pointed out.
When people forget the valor with which the freedom fighters fought to save our country and instead remember them for non-existent things like ‘caste’, which is present only in the minds of the people, the authorities are forced to pass such orders, the judge observed.
The constitutional mandate to create a casteless egalitarian society cannot be forgotten, and therefore, the above order cannot be interfered with, he further held. Citing that already a memorial was built by the government for Kattabomman at Panchalankurichi village in Thoothukudi district, the judge said nothing prevents the petitioner or others from paying their respects to the great freedom fighter at the said site and disposed of the petition.