Prime Minister paid tribute to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary.

• Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730–1796) was a queen from Tamil Nadu, known as ‘Veeramangai’ (Brave Woman) for her resistance against British rule.
• Born in the Ramnad kingdom, she was the only child of Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandimuthal.
• She was the first queen to actively oppose British rule, collaborating with Hyder Ali and Gopala Nayakar in battle.
• She introduced the first human bomb and established the first army of trained women soldiers.

She was proficient in French, English, Urdu, and trained in martial arts, horse riding, and archery.