Ministers Pay Tribute to Freedom Fighter Maveeran Alagumuthu Kone on His 316th Birth Anniversary

Press Release On the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Maaveeran Alagumuthu Kone, Hon'ble Ministers garlanded his statue and paid floral tribute. On behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, to mark the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Maaveeran Alagumuthu Kone, the Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity, Thiru. Rajmohan, and the Hon'ble Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Thiru. Rajeev, today (11.7.2026) garlanded and offered floral tributes at his statue near Egmore Railway Station in Chennai. Freedom fighter Maaveeran Alagumuthu Kone was born on 11.07.1710 to Muthukone and Bakkiyathai Ammal at Pattamangalam near Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district. He was a trusted lieutenant of the valorous Chettiar chieftain Ettappa Nayakkar. The British, who directly collected taxes from all the Palayakkarars of the Tirunelveli region, sent a tax-demand missive to Ettaiyapuram in 1755. Opposing this, Alagumuthu Kone strongly argued before the King of Ettaiyapuram that they should not pay tax to the British, and as a result the King too accepted the sentiment of the freedom fighter. Since King Ettappan refused to pay tax to the British, in 1756 they appointed a man named John Bourchier as Collector of the Tirunelveli region. Collector Bourchier's artillery force attacked and captured Ettaiyapuram, which fell into British hands. To recapture Ettaiyapuram, Alagumuthu Kone enlisted the warriors of Odai and Chettinaickenoor into his army, gave them adequate military training, and formed two small armies. Warriors fought in battle under the leadership of both Sengottaiyar Ettappar and Alagumuthu Kone. The army led by freedom fighter Alagumuthu Kone camped for the night at Chettinaickenoor fort. Learning of this, Bourchier, Collector of Tirunelveli, launched a sudden attack on Alagumuthu Kone's force of over 200 warriors and captured them in 1759. The British offered to spare their lives if they sought pardon. Alagumuthu Kone proudly proclaimed, "We would rather die as free men than live as slaves." Freedom fighter Alagumuthu Kone and the seven warriors with him were tied to the mouth of a cannon and shot dead. This brutal incident sowed the seeds of the freedom struggle in Tamil Nadu. To ensure that everyone learns of the history, valour and sacrifice of freedom fighter Maaveeran Alagumuthu Kone, who sowed the seeds of liberty, his birth anniversary is celebrated every year in a grand manner by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The event was attended by MLA Thiru. K.V. Vijaya Tamu, Secretary (additional charge) for Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare/Tamil Development and Information Department Thiru. V. Dakshinamurthy, IAS, Director of Information and Public Relations Dr. A. Arunthambu Raj, IAS, and senior government officials. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9