Arrest

Ayya Vaikundar imprisoned by the Travancore king

Ayya Vaikundar, founder of Ayyavazhi, was arrested on the orders of the Travancore king and held at Singarathoppe jail.

Arrest of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Tirunelveli unrest

The arrest of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramania Siva on sedition charges set off unrest in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.

Annie Besant interned

The Madras government interned Annie Besant at a hill station for her Home Rule activities, provoking protests across India.

Neill Statue Satyagraha

Nationalists in Madras campaigned for the removal of the statue of Colonel James Neill from Mount Road.

South Indian Railway strike

Workers of the South Indian Railway struck against planned layoffs of over 3,100 employees, disrupting transport across South India.

Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha

C. Rajagopalachari led a march from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam to break the salt law, the Tamil counterpart of the Dandi March.

Tamil translation of 'Why I am an Atheist' banned

Bhagat Singh's 'Why I am an Atheist' in Tamil was banned by the Madras government, which also arrested the translator and the publisher.

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.

Tamilar Padai march from Tiruchi to Madras

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

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.

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.

Kallakudi agitation against the name Dalmiapuram

The DMK protested at Kallakudi against the renaming of the town as Dalmiapuram after an industrialist.

National Emergency declared

Indira Gandhi's government declared a national Emergency; the DMK government in Tamil Nadu opposed it.

DMK workers jailed under MISA during the Emergency

After the DMK government's dismissal, many party workers including M. K. Stalin were jailed in Madras Central Prison under MISA.

Karunanidhi government dismissed; President's rule imposed

During the Emergency the Union government dismissed the DMK ministry and imposed President's rule in Tamil Nadu.

DMK agitation against Navodaya schools

The DMK protested the National Policy on Education's Navodaya schools, seen as a route for Hindi imposition; the schools were not opened in Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa arrested in colour TV case

Former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was arrested and remanded in judicial custody in a corruption case over the purchase of colour televisions.

Midnight arrest of M. Karunanidhi

Former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was arrested at his Chennai home in the early hours in a case over the construction of city flyovers.

Vaiko arrested under POTA

MDMK leader Vaiko was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for a speech supporting the LTTE and spent over a year and a half in jail.

Arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya

Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchi math was arrested in the Sankararaman murder case; he and the other accused were acquitted in 2013.

2G spectrum case arrests

Former Telecom Minister A. Raja and later Kanimozhi were arrested in the 2G spectrum case; a special court acquitted all accused in 2017.

Student protests over Sri Lankan Tamils

Colleges were shut after students throughout Tamil Nadu protested over alleged war crimes against Sri Lankan Tamils.

Marakkanam caste violence

At Marakkanam, PMK cadres heading to a Vanniyar youth festival clashed with Dalit villagers, setting off violence in the northern districts.

Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case

Arrests in Pollachi exposed a gang accused of sexually assaulting and blackmailing many women, causing statewide outrage and protests.

Violence at Kaniyamoor school over student's death

Protests over the death of a Class 12 student at a private residential school in Kallakurichi district turned violent.

Minister V. Senthil Balaji arrested by the ED

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam.

Kallakurichi illicit liquor deaths

Methanol-laced illicit liquor killed more than 60 people in Kallakurichi district.

Custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar

Temple watchman Ajith Kumar died after being held by police in Sivaganga district over a theft complaint; the case went to the CBI.