Ramnad Riots 1957

On September 11 Emmanuel Sekaran, the leader of the Dalit/Congress delegation at the peace conference, was murdered in Paramakudi. He was murdered when he was Just 33. He was Married to Amirtham Grace and he had four female children. Their Names are: Mary Vasantha Rani, Poppin Vijaya Rani, Sundarai Prabha Rani, Jansi Rani.

On September 13 clashes erupted at Arumkulam. 5 Dalits and 3 Thevars were killed, and their bodies were thrown unto fire. 2 of the Thevars and 1 of the Dalits were women.

On September 14 a group of armed police entered the village of Kulathooval in order to arrest suspects in the Emmanuel murder case. 5 Thevars were killed in police firing. According to Forward Bloc sources the five were blindfolded and executed. A police inquiry commission later refuted that perception.

On September 16 clashes erupted in villages like Veerambal, Arumbakkan, Irulandapatti and Sandakottai. In the two latter places 60 Dalits, including one woman, were killed.

On the same day the Thevar village of Ilanchambol was attacked by a Dalit mob. The village had been deserted by the police two days earlier. Five Thevars were killed in the attack. The attack was interrupted as Thevars from the neighbouring village of Keelapanayur arrived, driving of the Dalits and killing two.

On September 17 police opened fire on Forward Bloc cadres in the village of Keeranthai. Five of the killed were Thevars and one was a Dalit.

On September 18 Dalit houses were torched in Thandikudi.

On September 19 hundreds of houses, belonging to both Thevars and Dalits, were torched in the villages of Piramanur, Vadi, Tiruppuvanam, Nallur and Tiruppachatti. On the following day police opened fire on a Thevar mob, but with no casualties.

On September 20 police firing killed 5 Thevars, 4 in Uluthumadi and 1 in Malavavanenthall. In Veerambal, Thevars stormed a church were a group of Dalits had sought refuge. 2 Dalits were killed and 32 injured.

On September 21 clashes occurred in some places. But from the following day onwards there were no reported incidents.

On September 28-29, 1957 CRC held a state conference and reconstituted itself as the Indian National Democratic Congress. Notably, U. Muthuralingam Thevar,one of the inaugural speakers of the event, was arrested just after having delivered his speech.