Ondiveeran

Ondiveeran Pagadai
Born	Ondiveeran Pagadai Nerkattumseval, Tirunelveli, British India
Died	20 August 1771
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Freedom fighter

Ondiveeran Pagadai (or Ondi Veeran) (died 20 August 1771)[1] was an Indian commander-in-chief who fought against the British East India Company in Tamil Nadu.[2]

Ondiveeran came from the Arunthathiyar community and is viewed by them as a hero. Pressure from the Arunthathiyars led the Government of Tamil Nadu to build a memorial to him in Tirunelveli district.[3] The foundation stone for the memorial was laid in 2011.[4]

Commemorative postage stamp

India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp of denomination ₹5, released by Tamil Nadu Governor R.N.Ravi featuring Ondiveeran in 2022.[5]

Memorial

In the mid-2000s, the schedule caste of Tamil Nadu petitioned the government to establish a memorial to Ondiveeran. This petitioning included public protests.[6] The foundation stone for the memorial, costing ₹4,900,000, was laid in 2011 by Minister for Information and Public Relations Parithi Ilamvazhuthi.

References

1. "Ondiveeran remembered". The Hindu. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
2. "'Garden of Classical Tamil' work to be taken up soon". The Hindu.
3. Rajendran, S. P. (2012). The Fire Against Untouchability. Bharathi Puthakalayam. ISBN 9789381908471.
4. Staff Reporter (18 January 2011). "Foundation stone laid for memorial". The Hindu.
5. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/postal-stamp-on-freedom-fighter-ondiveeran-released-8102439/
6. "CPM activists block road". The Hindu. 2 November 2007.