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The erstwhile 42nd titular king of the Ettayapuram Samasthanam, Chaitanya Raja, led a massive protest in Ettayapuram in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, condemning the spread of false historical claims about the Ettappa Maharaja title and urging the government to remove historical inaccuracies in textbooks.
The demonstration took place at the goat market grounds, organised by local residents and traders who insisted that the true history of Ettayapuram must be made clear to the public. Over 600 people joined the protest, raising slogans to highlighting their demands. Speaking to reporters, Chaitanya Raja said, "Due to dialogues in certain films, people without proper knowledge of history have been spreading misconceptions. For two generations, we have been suffering because of this. At first, we didn't think cinema would have such an impact, but now some use it to malign our legacy. It is our duty to bring out the true history of the Ettayapuram palace and the unique story behind the Ettappa Maharaja title." He further explained that a petition had already been submitted to School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, demanding the removal of incorrect references to Ettappa Maharaja in the Class 10 history textbook. "The minister assured us that these inaccuracies would be removed in the next academic year," he said. The erstwhile Ettayapuram royal family has also requested that neither politics nor textbooks misrepresent Ettappa Maharaja. Chaitanya Raja pointed out that official government archives contain records and conversations from the colonial period, which clearly prove the actual events. "The history of Ettayapuram is rich and filled with important details. If one looks into it carefully, the truth will emerge," he added. Former AIADMK MLA Chinnappan also joined the protest in solidarity, stating that once the party returns to power, a memorial hall (Manimandapam) would be built in honour of Ettappa Maharaja. (ANI)
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