Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: The people of the Mukulathor community still make offerings as is done for the deities in temples to the statue on his birthday and guru pooja celebrations.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Relevance for UPSC

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Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Why in news?

In commemoration of the birth and death anniversary of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, thousands of people, including political leaders, thronged Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts of T.N. for garlanding custom and Mulaippari processions.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Who was Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar?

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar was born on 30 October 1908 in Pasumpon in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
He was a freedom-fighter cum spiritual leader and was seen as a deity among the Mukulathor community.
The people of the Mukulathor community still make offerings as is done for the deities in temples to the statue on his birthday and guru pooja celebrations.
Thevar became a full-time member of the Congress party and attended the 1927 Congress session at Madras as a volunteer when he was just 19.
He became a close aide of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Netaji introduced Thevar to his mother as his younger sibling.
He served as the national Deputy Chairman of All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) from 1952. He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency.

Know about All India Forward Bloc

It was formed in May 1939 by Subhash Chandra Bose.
It was a left-wing nationalist political party in India which emerged as a faction within the India Congress in 1939.
First All India Conference of Forward bloc was held in Nagpur in June 1940. And it passed a resolution titled ‘All Power to the Indian People’, urging militant action for struggle against British colonial rule.
The prime objective of the Forward Bloc was to bring all radical elements of the Congress party together. So that it could spread the meaning of complete independence of India with adherence to the application of principles of equality and social justice.
It was declared banned on 23 June 1942. Even when it was declared illegal, it played a revolutionary role to crown the struggle of the people with success and glory.
The party re-established itself as an independent political party after the independence of India.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Know about Thevar Jayanthi

Thevar Jayanthi is celebrated on October 30 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar.
The day is celebrated in a grand way by the Thevar community in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
The birth anniversary of freedom-fighter-cum-spiritual leader is also called Guru Pooja.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Know about Thevar Community

Thevar ( The word derived from Sanskrit Devar) means God early days Kings were portrayed as god and called as Devar. Later the descendents of Muvenders were called as thevars.
Devar is not a caste name it is a Surname of Mukkulathors called as Thevar, a dominant caste in Tamilnadu.
Mukkulathor Means Three clans (Kallar, Maravar and Agamudayar) Combinedly called as Thevar or Devar.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Thevar Shrine

Thevar’s resting place is his native village Pasumpon.
The main celebrations of Thevar Jayanthi take place at his samadhi, which is located about 50 miles from Madurai.

Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar: Struggle for Social Equality

In favor of ”The Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act”

The Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act were passed by the government of C. Rajagopalachari in 1939. It removed restrictions that prevented Dalits from entering Hindu temples. He supported the change and in July 1939 assisted activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer to take Dalits to the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.

Against the ”Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)”

The Criminal Tribes Act (CTA), enacted by the British in 1920, was against the Mukulathor community, in which Thevar protested by mobilizing people and starting protests that were a major milestone in his career. The Act criminalized the entire community by branding them as habitual criminals. He was instrumental in getting the Act repealed after continuous efforts in 1946. He died on October 30, 1963

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