Fr. Arulvalan professed as a Salesian in 1988, served as a priest for 24 years and a Salesian for 37 years, and belonged to the Salesian Province of Chennai. Though often attached to various communities under the Salesian Social Action banner, it was during his tenure as the Director of VIA Polur and as Assistant Parish Priest in Veeralur that he immersed himself fully in the struggle for the dignity of the Thurumbar community. These families, considered ‘untouchables among the Dalits,’ were subjected to extreme forms of caste-based violence and exclusion, even within the Catholic Church.

The birth of the TLM was a direct response to the injustices faced by three Thurumbar families of the Polur parish. In collaboration with the Gonzaga Sisters, Jesuits, community leaders, and civil society, the TLM was envisioned not just as a developmental initiative but as a movement-based ministry rooted in the empowerment of a community denied its very humanity.

Under his guidance, the TLM established four Thurumbar Nagar Settlements at Polur, Arni, Pothuvai, and Gedilam-Semmanandal—each a beacon of hope for families seeking not just shelter but a dignified life, reclaimed land rights, and community empowerment. A fifth settlement near Sankarapuram is also in the pipeline. These are not mere housing colonies; they are visible signs of a new social order, one where the last truly are made first.

Even in the face of violence, caste-based burial denial, legal battles, and ecclesial silence, Fr. Arulvalan stood firm. The Semmanandal Cemetery issue—a heart-breaking example of a Catholic Thurumbar man being denied burial in a common cemetery—laid bare the caste virus within the Church and society. Yet, Fr. Arulvalan never ceased to be a voice for the voiceless.

On April 8, in Kallakurichi, Fr. Arulvalan died while pursuing land settlement rights for the Thurumbar community. His death is not just a tragic loss; it is a martyrdom for justice. A man who walked with the poor was misunderstood, sidelined, and even opposed laid down his life for the very people Jesus would have called his own.

His death is not the end. It is a call for all, even beyond the Salesian Congregation, to continue his path of inclusion, courage, collaboration, and Gospel-centred activism. The Thurumbar Liberation Movement must not be silenced, sidelined, or diluted. It must be nurtured as a seed sown in sacrifice, watered by struggle, and now waiting to bear fruit in the hearts of new prophets.

As Fr. Arulvalan reminded us, let us not build our ministry on the sand. Let us build it on the solid rock of human dignity, rights, and the living Gospel. Let us not fear prophetic voices but embrace them. Let us be trained in the school of the poor, where Fr. Arulvalan now belongs among the saints who dared to walk the unbeaten path.

Despite being perceived as controversial and often misunderstood or marginalized, Fr. Arulvalan never wavered. His ministry challenged societal norms and complacencies at various levels. The movement, considered inimical by certain quarters, is a testament to the uncomfortable truth: any ministry that questions caste hierarchies will inevitably face pushback.

May his legacy live on in every settlement built, every child educated, every voice raised, and every Thurumbar family that stands with pride. May we who knew or now come to know him carry forward his torch, undeterred, unafraid, and unrelenting.

Rest in power, Fr. Arulvalan. Your battle was spiritual, your vision prophetic, and your life — a Gospel lived to the last breath.