Remembering the Great Patriot Kodi Katha (Thirupur) Kumaran

The Noyyal River, a tributary of Cauvery,  is a small river in Western Tamil Nadu that rises from the Velliangiri hills and flows through many villages and the cities of Coimbatore and Tirupur, finally draining into the Kaveri River at Noyyal, a village in Karur district named after the river itself. Its original name was Kanchinadi but changed later to the name of the place where it drains into the Kaveri River in 1750 A.D  ~ and it is on its bank, way back in 1932 a gruesome murder by the British was staged. Back in 2015, Tamil Nadu government Information Minister, K T Rajenthrabhalalji announced in the State Assembly that the birth  anniversaries of freedom fighters Veera Vanchinathan and Tirupur Kumaran would be celebrated  as government functions.  Birth anniversaries of freedom fighters including Gandhi, Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bharathiyar, Dheeran Chinnamalai and V O Chidambaranar are already being observed as State functions.  The minister told the house that State Govt remembers those great patriots. 11^th  Jan is certainly a day to remember…. heard of Chennimalai, popularly known as the 'Handloom Town'  in Erode district ~ very famous for bedsheets and other hand woven clothes.  A Flag is not merely a cloth………. it is a concept, a symbol representing the Nation itself.  Born in Chennimalai was the man, who was later to become famous as  Tirupur Kumaran,  more famously known by the epithet ‘Kodi kaththa Kumaran,’ on this day (4^th Oct) in  1904. Sad that this man wedded to the cause of Nation’s freedom lived for only 28 years ~ he died with honour proudly holding the flag; butdied of injuries in the police assault while defending the Congress flag during a protest march against British on January 11, 1932. Like other legendary revolutionaries, Vanchinathan, Bharathiyar, Subrahmanya Siva, VO Chidambaranar, Va Ve Subramaniya Iyer, Kumaran was also imbibed with the spirit and deeply drawn in the Nationalistic freedom movement.  He founded Desa Bandhu Youth Association.  He led the protest from the front at Tirupur against the British Colonial Government on 11th Jan 1932, was fatally wounded by baton wielding policemen.  He bled to death of the injuries sustained in the head in the police assault on the procession, still held the flag dear to his heart ~ died defending the flag, a la Nation, itself. 
The government has erected his statue in a park by the railway station in Tirupur. Kumaran is revered as a martyr in Tamil Nadu and is known by the epithet Kodi Kaththa Kumaran(Kumaran who saved the Flag). His memorial is situated on Kumaran salai, near Tiruppur railway station. His life history and photographs are displayed here for the public.  In 2004 a postal stamp commemorating his heroic deed was released Long live the memory of Kumaran and all other martyrs who sowed the seeds of freedom, which we all are enjoying now..      with profound regards to the martyr – S. Sampathkumar 4^th Oct 2017.