Unsung Heroes | History Corner | Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

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Paying tribute to India’s freedom fighters

R.S. Venkatarama Iyer

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

July 05, 2022 to July 05, 2023

Venkatrama Iyer was born in July 1886. His father’s name was Sundararama Iyer. He had good knowledge of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English. He participated in the Home Rule Movement even in his school days. He was a good orator with that ability he propagated the national movement among the villages in and around the Madurai district. He was fondly called by the people ‘Mattaparaisingam’ (Lion) because of his bravery and fearlessness in the freedom movement. He actively took forward the Untouchability Movement and Prohibition Movement in Madurai. He was arrested and imprisoned for six months. In 1906 he participated in the Surat Congress session along with Bharathi, V.O.C., and others. In 1921 he joined Non-cooperation Movement and was imprisoned for one year. He gathered a good crowd and took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930. He became the Dindigul district president of the Congress in 1931. That time he was arrested and imprisoned for two years for conducting the Civil Disobedience movement. In 1937 he organized the Congress Convention at Vethalagundu successfully. He became an MLA in 1938. He died in May 1957.

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