2409:4072:793:8053:0:0:25D8:20A5 at 11:56, 10 January 2022

2022-01-10T11:56:53Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Immanuvel Sekaranar
| image = Immanuel Sekaranar 2010 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = Devendrar on a 2010 stamp of India
| other_names = Vellu, Sekaran, Devendranar
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1924|10|09|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Sellur Village, [[Mudukulathur]], [[Ramanathapuram district]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]] (now in [[Ramanathapuram District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India)
| death_place = [[Mudukulathur]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1957|09|11|1924|10|09|df=yes}}
| organization = [[Indian Youth Congress|Tamil Nadu Youth Congress]]
| spouse =
| children =
}}

'''Immanuel Devendranar''' (9 October 1924 – 11 September 1957), who later took the name '''Immanuel Sekaran''', was a freedom fighter, [[Civil rights activist|Civil Rights Activist]] and worker for the [[Indian National Congress]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], India, who was murdered by a group of people from another [[Caste system in India|caste]].

== Life ==
Immanuvel Devendrar was born in [[Sellur, Tamil Nadu|Sellur]], [[Mudukulathur]], Tamil Nadu on 9 October 1924. He took part in the [[Quit India]] movement from the age of 18 and was imprisoned for three months because of it.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} In 1945, he enlisted in the [[British Indian Army]] and, upon his discharge, he returned to his native [[Ramanathapuram district]] to work for the Indian National Congress party (INC). His time in the army had caused him to question the historic oppression of the [[Pallar]] caste in his district, which was particularly severe.<ref name="ht">{{cite news|title=Freedom fighter, Dalit icon: Remembering Tamil Nadu's Immanuel Sekaran|url=http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/freedom-fighter-dalit-icon-remembering-tamil-nadu-s-immanuel-sekaran/story-EzBsVdnsQj9gQzuuNKdDiI.html|date=11 September 2016|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2017-07-20}}</ref><ref name="hindu">{{cite news |work=The Hindu |title=Immanuel Sekaran in the vanguard of Dalit struggle |first=D. |last=Karthikeyan |date=11 September 2011 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/immanuel-sekaran-in-the-vanguard-of-dalit-struggle/article2443838.ece |access-date=2017-07-20}}</ref>

Devendrar worked to improve the education, rights and representation of the Pallars, of which he was a member. He tried to mobilise them to demand equality. The INC saw him as a useful opposition to [[U. Muthuramalingam Thevar|Pasumpon Mutharamalingam Thevar]], who had defected from the party to join the [[Forward Bloc]].<ref name="ht"/> The party thought that he might be a worthy future member of the Legislative Assembly and groomed him for that end. It was for this reason that he converted to the Hindu religion and took the name Immanuel Sekaran.<ref name="hindu"/>

==Death==
The pallar were often in dispute with the [[Mukkulathor|Thevar]] caste and the relationship between the communities became fraught following a by-election in 1957. A peace meeting was called.<ref name="ht"/> When Muthuramalinga Thevar had entered this meeting, everybody including the Collector stood up with the exception of Immanuel Sekaran. The Collector asked Sekaran why he did not stand up when a leader entered. Sekaran replied, 'He is not a leader to me. He wanted to destroy my whole community.' This angered Thevar very much and as a consequence, the talks came to an abrupt end without any solution in sight.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-01|title=Remembering Immanuel Sekaran: Brave Dalit leader who lost his life to savarna brutality|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-immanuel-sekaran-brave-dalit-leader-who-lost-his-life-savarna-brutality-49168|access-date=2021-10-31|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref>

Devandrarrrr was ambushed and murdered by a group of Thewars for his activity on 11 September 1957. Dravidian parties accused that Thevar himself had some responsibility for the death. Thevar was in fact arrested but later released without charge.<ref name="ht"/>

The [[1957 Ramnad riots]], in which 42 Dalits were killed, occurred as a consequence of Devendrar's murder,<ref name="hindu"/> but approx. 20 supporters of [[U. Muthuramalingam Thevar]] and 30 [[Pallar]], [[Schedule Caste]] people died according to [[1957 Ramnad riots]] data, not counting the injured personnel.

The anniversary of Devendrar's death is celebrated annually as [[Devendrar Jayanti]] by Devendra Kula community people in Tamil Nadu.<ref>[http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20100911/1585318.html Floral tributes paid to Tamil Nadu state leader Emmanuel Sekaran]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 May 2005 |url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/12/stories/2005091208200300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060906024113/http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/12/stories/2005091208200300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 September 2006 |work=[[The Hindu]] |title=Tribute paid to Emmanuel Sekaran |access-date=2017-07-20}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Paramakudi Riots]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sekaranar, Immanuvel}}
[[Category:Indian Tamil people]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:Murder in India]]
[[Category:Activists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:People from Ramanathapuram district]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Caste-related violence in India]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Assassinated activists]]

Immanuvel Devendrar - Revision history

2409:4072:793:8053:0:0:25D8:20A5 at 11:56, 10 January 2022