Tamil Nadu Timeline

ProtestNational and Dravidian movements

Tamil Nadu Women's Conference backs anti-Hindi agitation

· Chennai

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

The 1937 to 1940 campaign against compulsory Hindi drew strong participation from women: Dr. S. Dharmambal was one of those arrested, and Moovalur Ramamirtham was among the leaders of the Tamilar Padai march. A Tamil Nadu Women's Conference was held on 13 November 1938 as a show of women's solidarity with the agitation. In the picketing that came after it, several of the women who took part were arrested. The conference was covered in Kudi Arasu.

Related events

  1. 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.

  2. 1938

    1. 29 Dec 1938ChennaiPolitics

      Periyar jailed and elected Justice Party president

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

  3. 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.

  4. 1940

    1. 21 Feb 1940ChennaiLanguage

      Compulsory Hindi order withdrawn

      The Governor of Madras, Lord Erskine, withdrew the order making Hindi compulsory in schools, ending the first anti-Hindi agitation.

  5. 1947

    1. 9 Oct 1947ChennaiLegislation

      Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act enacted

      The Madras legislature outlawed the dedication of girls to temples as devadasis, ending a long reform campaign.

  6. 1989

    1. 1989ChennaiLegislation

      Equal property rights for women and 30% job quota

      Tamil Nadu amended Hindu succession law to give daughters equal rights in family property and reserved 30% of government jobs for women.

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