TN: Tributes paid to Vedaranyam March leaders

Tiruchirapalli, Apr 14: A section of freedom fighters, school children and members of various service organisations paid tributes at the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha March memorial here, to commemorate the 78th anniversary of Salt Satyagraha.

Patriotic fervour pervaded the area, with the participants raising slogans glorifying the national leaders during the homage ceremony yesterday.

It was from here that the late C Rajagopalachariar, popularly known as Rajaji,led 100 Congress volunteers to Vedaranyam to prepare salt, protesting against the Salt Tax imposed by the British.

The Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha Awareness Movement, which organised the event, plans to install the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Rajaji and Sardar Vedarathinam Pillai in the memorial. ''The late Pillai was instrumental in organising the march meticulously,'' said movement president A Jacob.

General Secretary J R Jayabal said a function would be held on August 15 to honour freedom fighters P Thangavel Pillai, P Arumugam, P Shanmuga Mudaliar and Ladapuram Gurusamy Naidu. They were imprisoned by the British for their participation in the freedom movement.

Field Publicity Officer M Theresnathan, who traced the history of the Salt Satyagraha, said the Vedaranyam march was a sequel to the Dandhi march led by Mahatma Gandhi.

They urged the Central and State governments to declare TSS Rajan Bunglow from where Rajaji commenced his Salt Sathyagraha Yatra in 1930, as Gandhi Museum.

They also urged the Tamil Nadu government to remove the concretre structures of the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC), which blocked the visibility of the pillars in the memorial.

UNI