THOOTHUKUDI: In recognition of the contributions of Don Gabriel De Cruz Parathavarma Pandian, also known as Pandiyapathy, as a freedom fighter, the Tamil Nadu government has installed his portrait in the photo gallery for freedom fighters at the Thoothukudi Collectorate. This follows the Union Government’s acknowledgment of Pandiyapathy’s role in India’s freedom struggle.
The Union Ministry of Culture recognised Pandiyapathy’s contributions after a detailed report on him was published by The New Indian Express on 13 December 2021, during the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.
The report shed light on the unsung hero’s role in the struggle for freedom. Subsequently, Pandiyapathy was included among the 10,358 freedom fighters listed under the ‘Unsung Heroes’ column on the Ministry of Culture's Amrit Mahotsav portal.
Following this recognition, the matter was brought to the attention of the Tamil Nadu government. The office of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin directed the Department of Information and Public Relations to place Pandiyapathy’s portrait in the Thoothukudi Collectorate's photo gallery.
Pandiyapathy succeeded his father, Don Caspar Anthony De Cruz Vaz Victoria Parathavarma Pandian, in 1779 and ruled over the Pearl Fishery Coast until he died in 1808.
Historical British records refer to the rulers of the Pearl Fishery Coast as Jati-Talavan of the Paravars. Professor K Rajayyan of Madurai University, in his book South Indian Rebellion, documented the contributions of the Jati-Talavan during the corresponding period of the Poligar Wars.
After the execution of Kattabomman of Panchalakurichi, his brother Oomathurai escaped captivity and assumed leadership of the Palayam. "A secret conference was held at Kadalgudi, in which Melappan of Ramnad, Nagaraja Monigar of Tirunelveli, and Jati-Talavan of Thoothukudi were present. Later, 100 loads of arms and 20 loads of ammunition, mostly powder and ball, were moved to Panchalakurichi," stated Professor Rajayyan’s records.
Pandiyapathy, also known as ‘Thermaran’, is remembered for his philanthropy, including the donation of a golden car to the Lady of Snows Church in 1806. He was buried in Thoothukudi after his death, and a stone inscription near his burial site, close to a private school, records his contributions.
Writer Neithal U Anto, who authored a book on Pandiyapathy, called for the Department of Archaeology to investigate the stone inscriptions written in Portuguese and Tamil, which provide further details about the ruler of the Pearl Fishery Coast. He also urged official epigraphists to clarify the confusion surrounding Pandiyapathy’s birth and death dates.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Culture’s Amrit Mahotsav portal had initially listed an incorrect name for Parathavarma Pandian.