Tamil Nadu Timeline

ProtestNational and Dravidian movements

Tamilar Padai march from Tiruchi to Madras

· Tiruchirappalli

Known as the Tamilar Padai, anti-Hindi protesters marched from Tiruchirappalli to Madras, addressing meetings in towns and villages en route.

The Self-Respect Movement and the Muslim League together arranged a protest march as part of the campaign against making Hindi compulsory in schools. Led by Pattukkottai Alagiri, Kumarasamy Pillai and Moovalur Ramamirtham, the marchers, named the Tamilar Padai (Tamil brigade), left Trichy on 1 August 1938. In 42 days they passed through 234 villages and 60 towns and spoke at 87 public meetings. On 11 September 1938 they arrived in Madras, where they were arrested for picketing government offices.

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