Tamil Nadu Timeline

LanguageRise of Dravidian rule

Assembly adopts the two-language policy

· Fort St. George

The Madras Legislative Assembly scrapped the three-language formula and removed Hindi from the school curriculum, adopting Tamil and English.

On 23 January 1968 the Madras Legislative Assembly passed a resolution moved by the Annadurai government. It scrapped the three-language formula and eliminated Hindi from the state's school curriculum, leaving Tamil and English. The resolution followed renewed anti-Hindi protests by students in late 1967. The two-language policy has remained in force in Tamil Nadu since then.

Related events

  1. 1964

    1. 25 Jan 1964TiruchirappalliProtest

      Chinnasamy self-immolates against Hindi imposition

      DMK member Chinnasamy set himself on fire at Tiruchi, the first of the language martyrs of the second anti-Hindi struggle.

  2. 1965

    1. 25 Jan 1965 to Mar 1965MaduraiProtest

      1965 anti-Hindi agitation

      Student-led protests against Hindi becoming the sole official language turned into statewide riots, with police firing and self-immolations.

  3. 1967

    1. 6 Mar 1967 to 3 Feb 1969Fort St. GeorgePolitics

      C. N. Annadurai becomes Chief Minister

      C. N. Annadurai was sworn in as the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Madras State since independence, heading a DMK government.

    2. Feb 1967ChennaiPolitics

      DMK wins the 1967 Assembly election

      A DMK-led alliance defeated the Congress, ending Congress rule in Madras State; Kamaraj lost his own seat.

  4. 1969

    1. 10 Feb 1969 to 31 Jan 1976Fort St. GeorgePolitics

      M. Karunanidhi becomes Chief Minister

      M. Karunanidhi succeeded Annadurai as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and later became president of the DMK.

  5. 1974

    1. 15 Aug 1974Fort St. GeorgeGovernance

      Chief Ministers win right to hoist flag on Independence Day

      Following Karunanidhi's demand, Chief Ministers won the right to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, and he did so at Fort St. George.

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