Ministers pay floral tribute to freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai on memorial day

PRESS RELEASE On the occasion of the memorial day of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai, Hon'ble Ministers garlanded his statue and paid floral tribute On the occasion of the memorial day of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources Thiru N. Anand, Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Thiru Rajmohan, Hon'ble Minister for Tourism Thiru S. Rameshkumar, and Hon'ble Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services Dr. Ra. Kumar paid floral tribute today (03.8.2026) at the portrait of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai placed near his statue at the Thiru Vi Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai. Freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai was born on 17.04.1756 to Ratnasamy Gounder and Seriyaththa at the hamlet of Melapalayam near Kangeyam, Erode district. His birth name was Theerthagiri. From a young age, Dheeran Chinnamalai mastered martial arts such as swordsmanship, archery, silambam and wrestling, and became a distinguished warrior. Having mastered various daring martial arts and trained his forces in the strategies of war, he participated in India's freedom struggle, challenged the British, and sought to completely destroy the East India Company. To liberate India, which was under British subjugation, he allied himself with Tipu Sultan, the King of Mysore. In the Kongu region, he prevented the collection of taxes by the then Mysore government and earned the title "a Chinnamalai between Semmalai and Sivamalai." Alarmed at the success of the Tipu Sultan–Dheeran Chinnamalai alliance in all three wars fought against the British in Mysore, the British devised new war strategies. Tipu Sultan sent an envoy to the great warrior Napoleon seeking assistance in the Fourth Mysore War. Even though Napoleon did not render assistance, Tipu and Chinnamalai fought tirelessly with courage and valour alongside their forces. Tipu Sultan, King of Mysore, died a hero's death on the battlefield in the Fourth Mysore War. Angered by their repeated defeats in successive wars, the British conspired against Dheeran Chinnamalai, arrested him and his brothers, and hanged them at Sangagiri Fort. To honour freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai, a statue was erected at Guindy, Chennai, and inaugurated on 04.10.1998. On behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the memorial day of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai is observed every year. The event was attended by Vedaranyam MLA Thiru M. Arul Prakasam, Secretary of the Tamil Development and Information Department Thiru Pe. Radharaman, IAS, Director of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations Thiru A. Arun Thamburaj, IAS, and other senior government officials. Released by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9