Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday paid homage to freedom fighter and poet Subramania Bharathi and freedom fighter Immanuel Sekaran on their death anniversaries.

In a post on X, Lok Bhavan, Tamil Nadu, quoting Mr. Arlekar, described Bharathi as a great poet, patriot, and visionary, who awakened the spirit of freedom, self-respect, and national consciousness among the people of India. Bharathi’s powerful poetry inspired generations to strive for a free, strong, and progressive India. His vision of social equality, women’s empowerment, national unity, and the uplift of the downtrodden remained deeply relevant even today, he added.

Mr. Arlekar also paid tribute to Immanuel Sekaran. He said Immanuel Sekaran dedicated his life to social justice, equality and the dignity of the oppressed. His courage, commitment, and sacrifice for the advancement of social harmony and equality remained an enduring source of inspiration.

In a post on X, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay said Immanuel Sekaran dedicated his life to social justice, equality, and human rights and whose voice resonated as the voice of the oppressed. From a young age, Immanuel Sekaran took part in the country’s freedom struggle and social justice movements against social inequalities. “On this day, let us pledge to walk in the path shown by Immanuel Sekaran to create a society based on equality and self-respect,” Mr. Vijay said.

On behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, Ministers K. Thennarasu and D. Sarathkumar paid floral tributes to Subramania Bharathi, offering respects to his portrait placed near his statue on Kamarajar Salai. Marking the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency P. Subbarayan, Mr. Thennarasu and Mr. Sarathkumar also paid floral tributes to his portrait placed near his statue at the Gandhi Mandapam complex in Guindy.