Father Arul Valan (54), a Salesian priest of Don Bosco and a tireless champion of the poor and oppressed—especially the Thurumbar (Puthirai Vannars), the washermen community in Tamil Nadu—died due to a heart attack on April 8, 2025, at 2:30 a.m.
At the time, he was preparing for the arrival of Tamil Nadu government officials from Chennai, who were scheduled to distribute land to over 90 Thurumbar families near Kallakurichi.
He complained of acute chest pain while staying near Kallakurichi and was taken to the Government Hospital in Sankarapuram.
Born on May 31, 1970, Fr. Valan made his first profession in the Congregation of Don Bosco on June 11, 1988, and was ordained on September 2, 2000.
He belonged to the Salesian Province of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
In 2003, Father Valan co-founded the Thurumbar Liberation Movement along with Sister Alphonsa.
This movement was committed to restoring human dignity and rights to the most oppressed Dalit sub-caste, the Puthirai Vannar community. For over two decades, Fr. Valan worked tirelessly for their empowerment.
The Puthirai Vannars, seen as the last and least in Tamil Nadu's caste-based society, traditionally washed the clothes of other Dalits and were considered “unseeable” due to their association with untouchability.
“I am excited to share his mission and journey along with Sister Alphonsa all these years. My heartfelt condolences to Sister Alphonsa and her Thurumbar communities. May his soul rest in peace,” said Fr. Benjamin Chinnappan,founder of the Dalit Solidarity Network.
Fr. Valan and Sr. Alphonsa were instrumental in changing perceptions, reaching out to religious houses to promote education among the children of the washermen.
Despite being a heart patient, Fr. Valan continued visiting the community day and night, advocating for their rights and dignity.
“It is a tremendous loss not only for the washermen people but for all those who work for the development of the marginalized,” said Fr. Devasagayaraj M. Zackarias, former executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Office for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
The movement emerged as a response to the untouchability and atrocities inflicted on the Puthirai Vannar community, particularly in the districts of Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram.
It gained momentum in 2003 when caste-bonded labor was exposed, and three families were rescued in Tiruvannamalai. The discrimination continued even within Catholic parishes, prompting the formation of multiple sangams (associations) that later evolved into the Thurumbar Liberation Movement.
Each sangam comprises 15 to 20 villages, holding monthly meetings, and offering training, particularly for women and children.
The movement, active in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, and Kancheepuram districts, also provides education scholarships to children.
“Fr. Valan was a powerful fighter who created a new dawn for the politically, economically, and socially marginalized Thurumbar community. We cannot summarize his contributions in just a few lines,” Zackarias added. “He never hesitated to invite leftist groups to protest alongside the washermen community in Villupuram. I have engaged in deep ideological discussions with him—those days were educational and will always remain with me.”
“Even though he has left us, his legacy will be remembered by generations of oppressed people in the slums,” said Savarirajan Arockiam, a member of the Communist Party of India in Villupuram.
Before beginning his ministry among the Thurumbar in 2004, Fr. Valan served as assistant parish priest at St. Anthony’s Church, Veeralur, and Sacred Heart Church, Polur, in the Vellore Diocese. He was also the director of VIA.
Throughout his priesthood and his life as a member of the Don Bosco congregation, Fr. Valan dedicated himself to the liberation of the washermen community in Tamil Nadu.
His death is a great loss to the Christian Thurumbar people and the broader Dalit community.
His funeral will be held on April 9, 2025, at Dominic Savio, Tirupattur.
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