Unsung Heroes Detail

T.M. Kaliannan was born on January 10, 1921, at Akkaraipatti in Namakkal District. He was barely 21 and was studying English literature at Loyola College in Chennai when he joined the revolution against the British. He was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Kamaraj’s ideology. His actions invited the wrath of the British authorities manning the college and he was sent away. It was during this period that he visited Sabarmati Ashram and met Gandhiji who asked him to stay there for 10 days. He participated in the Quit India movement in 1942 and subsequently joined Congress. Although he was known as the Kasthuripatti zamindar, he was a reformist who supported the abolition of the zamindari system. When the zamindari system was abolished, Kaliannan gave away more than 1,000 acres of his inherited property. He passed away on 28 May 2021 at the age of 101.