Robert William Escourt Ashe

Robert William d'Escourt Ashe I.C.S.[1] (23 November 1872 – 17 June 1911) (Collector Ashe) was the acting Collector and District magistrate of Tirunelveli district[2] during the British Raj.[3] Ashe had played a significant part in bringing about the closure of the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, started by V.O.C. Pillai to take on the British India Steam Navigation Company that had for long monoplised trade in the southern part of the Bay of Bengal. He had also been responsible for charging VOC and a colleague Subramanya Siva with sedition — for which they were convicted. Chidambaram was interned in Coimbatore and Kannanoor jail. He was not treated as a 'political prisoner', nor was the sentence 'simple imprisonment', he was rather treated as a convict sentenced to life imprisonment and required to do hard labour, which caused his health to suffer.[7] The historian and Tamil scholar, R. A. Padmanabhan, would later note in his works that Chidambaram was "yoked (in place of bulls) to the oil press like an animal and made to work it in the cruel hot sun. On 17 June 1911 Ashe was assassinated by Vanchinathan at the Maniyachi railway junction (between Tirunelveli and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu)[4]. After the shooting, Vanchinathan ran along the platform and took cover in the latrine. Some time later he was found dead, having shot himself in the mouth. The pistol recovered from him was empty without any bullets as he just planned to kill himself after killing Ashe and had no intention to hurt anyone other than Ashe[3] In his pocket was found following letter:

Ashe and his family.

Maniyachi railway station, where Ashe was assassinated (currently renamed as Vanchi Maniyachi after Vanchinathan)

I dedicate my life as a small contribution to my motherland. I am alone responsible for this. The mlechas of England having captured our country, tread over the sanathana dharma of the Hindus and destroy them. Every Indian is trying to drive out the English and get swarajyam and restore sanathana dharma. Our Raman, Sivaji, Krishnan, Guru Govindan, Arjuna ruled our land protecting all dharmas, but in this land they are making arrangements to crown George V, a mlecha, and one who eats the flesh of cows.

Three thousand Madrasees have taken a vow to kill George V as soon as he lands in our country. In order to make others know our intention, I who am the least in the company, have done this deed this day. This is what everyone in Hindustan should consider it as his duty.

I will kill Ashe, whose arrival here is to celebrate the crowning of cow-eater King George V in this glorious land which was once ruled by great samrats. This I do to make them understand the fate of those who cherish the thought of enslaving this sacred land.

I, as the least of them, wish to warn George by killing Ashe.

Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram

His assassin Vanchi was accompanied by a youth named Sankara Krishna Aiyar who ran away, but was afterwards caught and convicted.[2] Ashe was the first and only colonial official to be assassinated in South India during the Indian independence movement.[5] The British government built a memorial for him at Tuticorin in 1913.[6] That memorial is currently in dilapidated condition.[7]