The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Salt satyagrahis reach Thanjavur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 18, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Salt satyagrahis reach Thanjavur

Staff Reporter

Vasan, Elangovan take part

WALKING FOR A CAUSE: E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Union Minister of State for Commerce, along with Congress cadres, participating in the Vedaranyam Salt march in Madurai on Sunday. — Photo: S.James

THANJAVUR: More than hundred Congress activists, who are on a salt satyagraha march from Tiruchi to Vedaranyam, entered Thanjavur on Sunday.

The State Congress president, G.K. Vasan, met the activists and presented Khadi shawls to them. He appreciated their commitment and courage to take out the march in scorching. heat "Dandi march is the seed sown by Gandhiji for our freedom," he said.

The activists start the march at 6 a.m. daily. "We walk a distance of 15-18 km a day," said K.S. Sivaprakasam, Pradesh acting chief organiser, Tamil Nadu Congress Seva Dal. "Response from the people was overwhelming. Nearly 5,000 people received us at Tiruvaiyaru on Saturday night and gave us tea and fruits."

Sporting Gandhi caps, the cadres sing patriotic songs and chant Vande Mataram. Sixty-year-old Puratchi Govindan is the main singer. When he starts singing the songs of Bharathi and Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai, the cadres respond in chorus.

Jacob and K. Subramanyam of Bharat Heavy Electricals limited participated in a similar re-nactment in 1988. Members of a State-level Salt Satyagraha Awareness Committee, functioning in BHEL, are also taking part.

"Rajan Bungalow in Tiruchi, from where the march started should be made a monument," Mr. Subramanyam said. It was from that bungalow that Rajaji started the march in 1930. Mahatma Gandhi visited this bungalow.

"Like the Gandhi memorial at Kanyakumari and the Gandhi Museum in Madurai, the Rajan Bungalow in Tiruchi should be made a memorial," Mr. Subramanyam said.

M.K.Valampuri, president, All-India Azad Hind Fauj INA Association, is also participating in the march.

The marchers would reach Vedaranyam via Ayyampettai, Papanasam, Valangaiman, Mannargudi, Kottur and Thiruthuraipoondi.

In Madurai, 100 Congress members, led by the urban district president, A. Deivanayagam, began the march, which was flagged off by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, E.V.K.S. Elangovan The members joined their counterparts in Thanjavur in the evening.

The State general secretary A.G.S. Rambabu, and the Dindigul MP, N.V.S. Chittan, took part.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu