Ministers, on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, garlanded and paid floral tributes to the statue of freedom fighter and former minister S.S. Ramasamy Padayatchiyar.
In commemoration of the centenary birth anniversary of S.S. Ramasamy Padayatchiyar, who fought for social justice and was also a freedom fighter and former minister, his birthday, September 16, has been celebrated every year as a government function.
Today, on the occasion of his 109th birth anniversary, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P. Venkataramanan, School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Minister Rajmohan, Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu, and Human Resources Management Minister T. Sarathkumar garlanded his statue located at the Halda Junction in Guindy, Chennai, and paid tribute by offering flowers to his portrait placed nearby.
S.S. Ramasamy Padayatchiyar was born on 16.9.1918 in Cuddalore, South Arcot district, as the son of Shivachidambaram Padayatchi and Rethinammal. In his youth, he was interested in both studies and sports. He studied up to the Intermediate level, which was the education of that time.
In the early 1950s, he worked for the progress of the backward and oppressed people in South Arcot district.
As a result of his interest in social service from a young age, he was elected as a member of the Cuddalore municipality at the age of 24. Within the next four years, he was also elected as the municipal chairman. He introduced a drinking water scheme to solve the people's drinking water problem.
During his 60 years of public life, he served the people as a Member of the Legislative Assembly three times, a Member of the Legislative Council twice, a Member of Parliament twice, and also as a Tamil Nadu Minister.
At the request of Ramasamy Padayatchiyar, in 1970 the Tamil Nadu government established the First Backward Classes Welfare Committee, headed by A.N. Sattanathan.
He passed away on April 3, 1992. In recognition of the service he rendered to the people, in 1993 the Tamil Nadu government divided South Arcot district into two and named one part Ramasamy Padayatchiyar District.
To honor his memory, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, a memorial hall with a full-length bronze statue has been established in Manjakuppam, Cuddalore district, and his birthday, September 16, has been celebrated in a grand manner every year as an official government function on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
In this event, Members of the Legislative Assembly M. Arul Prakasam (Saidapet), Sou. Thiagarajan (Chengalpattu), ECR. P. Saravanan Moorthy (Sholinganallur), J. Kamatchi (Pallavaram), P. Vijayaraj (Thiruporur), M. Harish (Alandur), Director of the Department of Information and Public Relations Dr. A. Arun Thamburaj, and senior government officials participated.
