Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, Early Life, Role in Freedom Struggle

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar was a revered Indian freedom fighter, socialist leader, and politician from Tamil Nadu, often called the “Tilak of the South”. 

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Early Life

• Pasumpon Muthuramalinga was born on 30 October 1908 in Pasumpon, Ramnad District.
• He belonged to the Thevar community. 
• He lived as a sadhu and was known for his simplicity.

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Role in Freedom Struggle 

• Pasumpon Muthuramalinga was a staunch nationalist who advocated militant nationalism against colonial rule in India.
• He actively participated in the Quit India Movement.
• He played a key role in getting the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) repealed in 1948 which was a discriminatory British legislation that branded certain communities as “criminals” by birth.
• He served as the secretary of the Harijan Sevak Sangh in Ramnad district and fought for the upliftment of marginalized communities and against untouchability.
• He was also associated with the Temple Entry movement. He played an important role in allowing Dalits to enter the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai alongside A. Vaidyanatha Iyer.​
• He supported the Tamil culture and dignity but did not see it as separate from India. He even wanted Hindustani as the national language but with Roman script.

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Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar and Subhash Chandra Bose 

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga was a close ally of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He attended the Tripuri session of the Indian National Congress in 1939 and mobilised all south India votes for Bose. He left Indian National Congress when Bose was forced to resign due to the lack of support from the Congress Working Committee and became a founding member of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) in Tamil Nadu. 

He was instrumental in recruiting thousands of Tamil youth for Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) during the struggle for independence.