Tamil Nadu Timeline

PoliticsNational and Dravidian movements

Periyar jailed and elected Justice Party president

· Chennai

Periyar jailed and elected Justice Party president
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E. V. Ramasamy was imprisoned for his role in the anti-Hindi agitation and was elected president of the Justice Party while in jail.

E. V. Ramasamy was arrested and imprisoned in 1938 for his part in the anti-Hindi agitation. During the protests the slogan Tamil Nadu for Tamils was raised. While he was in prison, he was chosen president of the Justice Party, taking over its leadership on 29 December 1938. His leadership drew the Justice Party closer to the Self-Respect Movement and set the stage for its transformation into the Dravidar Kazhagam.

Related events

  1. 1935

    1. 1 Jun 1935ChennaiLiterature

      Viduthalai newspaper launched

      Viduthalai began as a Justice Party bi-weekly and became a daily under Periyar in 1937.

  2. 1937

    1. 11 Aug 1937 to 21 Feb 1940ChennaiLanguage

      Compulsory Hindi order and first anti-Hindi agitation

      The Rajaji government's move to make Hindi compulsory in schools triggered a large anti-Hindi agitation led by Periyar, the Justice Party and Tamil scholars.

  3. 1938

    1. 13 Nov 1938ChennaiProtest

      Tamil Nadu Women's Conference backs anti-Hindi agitation

      To display women's backing for the protests against compulsory Hindi, a Tamil Nadu Women's Conference met in Madras.

  4. 1939

    1. 15 Jan 1939 to 11 Mar 1939ChennaiProtest

      Deaths of Natarajan and Thalamuthu in custody

      Anti-Hindi protesters L. Natarajan and Thalamuthu died after being jailed, and were claimed as the first martyrs of the anti-Hindi movement.

    2. 17 Dec 1939 to 10 Aug 1941ChennaiPolitics

      Periyar raises 'Dravida Nadu for Dravidians'

      Periyar swapped the slogan 'Tamil Nadu for Tamils' for 'Dravida Nadu for Dravidians', setting the Justice Party on a separatist course.

  5. 1942

    1. Aug 1942 to 1943ChennaiProtest

      Quit India Movement in the Tamil districts

      Congress leaders in the Tamil region were arrested as the Quit India Movement began, followed by strikes, sabotage and police firing.

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