Tributes pour in for ‘Dheeran’

Erode/Chennai: Governor R N Ravi and chief minister M K Stalin were among the leaders who participated in the celebration of the 217th commemoration day of freedom fighter ‘Dheeran’ Chinnamalai on Wednesday.
Governor Ravi visited the memorial of the freedom fighter at Odanilai and paid tributes to his statute while remembering his sacrifices in freedom fight movement.
Ravi started his speech in Tamil and continued it for nearly two minutes. He assured that he would try to speak in Tamil as much as Tamil people.
“Dheeran Chinnamalai was a great patron and mentor of scholars and true saviour of culture and spirituality wherein lives the soul of Bharat and which is the essence of our Sanatana Dharma and Sanskriti. Sanatan Dharma is all-inclusive, and believes in universal brotherhood (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). In the true tradition of Chera, Chola and Pandiya kings, Dheeran Chinnamalai was a patron of Dharma and protected the institution of Kuladeivam,” he said.
He urged the people to contribute individually and collectively to build India with four-fold development modes of prosperous in economy, militarily strong, intellectually ahead in science and technology spiritually resurgent. “The destiny is India should become world leader by the year 2047, when the country will be celebrating 100th year of Independence,” he said.
Chief minister Stalin paid his tributes to the freedom fighter in Chennai. “When the British thrashed him asking him to pay the tax, Chinnamalai replied that he won’t pay the tax and won’t fall at their feet,” he recalled. AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss, PMK president and MP Dr. Anbumani R also paid their tributes to ‘Dheeran’ Chinnamalai.