Question

When Vanchinathan shot Ashe, the district collector of Tirunelveli ?
A) 18 July 1912
B) 17 June 1911
C) 12 August 1912
D) 02 July 1911

Answer 1

Hint: Vanchi who was just 25, assassinated Robert Ashe, the district collector of Tirunelveli, who was also known as Collector Dorai. He shot Ashe at point-blank range when Ashe's train had stopped at the Maniyachi Station, en route to Madras. He committed suicide thereafter.

Complete answer:
1. It is said that Robert William D'escourt d’Ashe was the mastermind behind the arrest of V.O.Chidambaranar Pillai (V.O.C) and bringing down the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company started by V.O.C. At the same time, Ashe was also an ICS officer and was in the position of a collector in the Tinnevelly district (At present Tirunelveli). Due to this task of conspiring against leaders made many youngsters turn vigilantes against the British government at that time. As a pointer towards that, Sankar Krishna Iyer and Vanchi Iyer (Vanchinathan) killed Ashe signifying their intent for Poorna Swaraj.
2. Another viewpoint is that Vanchinathan was part of a society called Bharat Mata Association which comprised a group of young revolutionists plotting to kill King Goerge V due to him giving permission for usage of Cow’s skin and blood in preparation of Guns and armor. As a prologue to the above objective, Vanchi Iyer decided to kill the relevant bureaucrat in his place as a means of communication directly to the king and it is none other than Ashe who was the top bureaucrat in his place.
3.The Third version of the story (This is not my view, however as stated from few political parties in Tamilnadu) is that Ashe’s wife Mary Lillian Patterson was doing many charitable works to the oppressed community especially to Dalits and Ashe was supporting her works in all the way possible. This work of supporting the oppressed community did not go well with the Brahmin community (higher caste at that time) and they were absolutely against the move by Ashe. Hence, due to the above, Vanchi Iyer killed Ashe and shot himself immediately after such an encounter.

Hence the correct answer is option B.

Note: Now these are the versions of the event behind killing. However, till now I have not arrived at any concrete confirmation on the above sequence of events as I’m still under the process of research. However, for each and above situation, various questions arise which remain unanswered.