Biography of ‘Pasumpon’-Muthuramalinga Thevar-Indian Political Leader- Former President of Forward Bloc

Date of Birth: 30th October 1908-Born at the village-‘Pasumpon’ in Ramnad District, Tamilnadu

Date of Death: 30th October 1963 (Died at the age of 55 years on his 56th Birthday)
Father: Ukkirapandi Thevar- A Wealthy Landlord belonging to the ‘Mukkulathor’/’Thevar’ Community

Mother: Indiraniammal

When he was a baby of less than one year,  his mother died and the next year his step mother also died and  father married again.

Thereafter, Muthuramalinga Thevar was taken care of by his Maternal Grand-mother Parvathiammal of Kalluppatti Village, in Usilampatti Taluk, Madurai District

Education: 

Attended Elementary School run by American Missionaries in Kamuthi ( A Town named ‘KAvinmigu MUllai THIrunagar, called in the short form of Kamuthi, in Ramnad District,Tamilnadu)

Pasumalai High School, Near Thirupparankundram, Madurai District,

Union Christian High School, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Could not complete his High School Education.
Occupation:

 Deputy Chairman of  All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) from the year 1952 and Leader of AIFB-Tamil Nadu

Political Career of Muthuramalinga Thevar:
The British Government was having an act restricting the activities of Indians of certain castes and Muslims, under the ‘Criminal Tribes Act’ of 1871/CTA, with further amendments in the years 1911 and 1924.
Muthuramalinga Thevar started protest against the implementation of the ‘CTA’ in the Southern Districts of Madurai, Ramnad and Tirunelveli.

In spite of Muthuramalinga Thevar’s intensive agitations against the ‘CTA’, the Justice Party, which had been the then ruling party of the Madras Presidency did not repeal the ‘CTA’.

Muthuramalinga Thevar started opposing the Justice Party and supporting the Indian National Congress.
In the year 1936, Muthuramalinga Thever had  contested in the Ramnad District Board Election and defeated the candidate of the ruling Justice Party.

In the 1937-Madras Provincial Assembly Elections, he campaigned against the Justice Party and in support of the Indian National Congress.

He, himself had  contested in the Madras Provincial Elections from the Ramnad Constituencey and defeated the Justice Party’s candidate Raja of Ramnad.
As a result of the 1937-Madras Provincial Assembly Elections, the Indian National Congress in the Madras Province with ‘Chakravarthi  Raja Gopalachari/Rajaji as the Chief Minister of Madras Province.

As Rajaji also did not take steps for repealing the ‘CTA’, Muthuramalinga Thevar became acting against the Indian National Congress.

‘Netaji’Subash Chandra Bose had been the President of the Indian National Congress in the year 1938.

In the March-1939 session of the Congress held at Tripuri, Madhya Pradesh, Pattbhi Sitaramayya, a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi challenged Bose in the Congress Presidential Election.

In the Congress Presidential Election, Muthuramalinga Thevar supported Bose and canvassed for him and mobilised votes from South India.
N.S.C.Bose  was re-elected as the Congress President in the year 1939.

However, Bose was forced to resign from the post of the President of the Indian National Congress.

Then NSC Bose launched a new party by name ‘The Forward Bloc’on 22nd June 1939.

Muthuramalinga Thevar, joined the ‘Forward Bloc’ started by NSC Bose, as he was dissatisfied with the Congress.
On 6th September 1939, when NSC Bose visited Madurai, Thevar organized a grand rally to receive Bose.
Muthuramalinga Thevar had been active in the ‘Forward Bloc’, which had been against the Indian National Congress, especially, in the 1952 and 1957 General Elections, until his demise in the year 1963.

Honours Given to Muthuramalinga Thevar:
Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar College was founded by the (DMK) State Government of Tamilnadu, in Usilampatti in the year 1968.

Biography of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar was included in the High School Text Books of Tamil Nadu State.
Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar’s Cemetry in the Village  Pasumpon was converted into his official Memorial in the year 1971

A Life-Size portrait of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar was installed in the Legislative Assembly Hall of Tamil Nadu in the year 1980

A new District by his name ‘Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar District’ ws formed in the bifurcation of the Ramnad District in the year 1984.

A Commemorative Postage Stamp was published by the Indian Postal Department in the year 1995.

In Chennai 2 important roads, Greenways Road and Chamier’s Road have been re-named as ‘Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Roads’.

A statue of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar has been installed at the intersection of  ‘Anna Salai’ with‘Chamier’s Road’/-Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Road’.

The 30th of October is the ‘Birth Anniversary’ Day and the ‘Death Anniversary’  Day and it is observed as the ‘Thevar Guru Puja’, throughout Tamilnadu, by the people belonging to the ‘Mukkulathor Community’/’Thevar Community’ comprising, the 3 communities of ‘Kallar’, ‘Maravar’ and ‘Agamudaiyar’.

The 30th October 2015 is the 108th Birth Anniversary and the 53rd Death Anniversary of Late.Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.