Protest

Channar revolt over the upper cloth

Nadar women in southern Travancore, including today's Kanyakumari district, struggled for decades for the right to cover their upper bodies.

The Crescent, first Indian-owned newspaper in Madras

The Crescent, launched by Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty, was the Madras Presidency's first newspaper under Indian ownership.

Annie Besant interned

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

Gandhi conceives the Rowlatt hartal in Madras

While staying with C. Rajagopalachari in Madras, Gandhi conceived a nationwide hartal against the Rowlatt Act, observed on 6 April 1919.

Vaikom Satyagraha

A satyagraha in Travancore demanded that people of oppressed castes be allowed to use the roads around the Vaikom temple; E. V. Ramasamy took part.

Neill Statue Satyagraha

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

Simon Commission boycott in Madras

Protesters in Madras demonstrated against the Simon Commission, and T. Prakasam famously defied police during the protest.

Muthulakshmi Reddy resigns over Gandhi's arrest

Muthulakshmi Reddy resigned from the Madras Legislative Council in protest against the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi during civil disobedience.

Death of Tiruppur Kumaran

Freedom fighter Tiruppur Kumaran died of injuries from a police assault during a protest march, holding the national flag.

Abhiramam convention against the Criminal Tribes Act

Muthuramalinga Thevar organised a convention at Abhiramam demanding repeal of the Criminal Tribes Act.

Rajaji's Modified Scheme of Elementary Education

Rajaji's two-shift school scheme, criticised as Kula Kalvi Thittam (hereditary education), triggered protests and was later dropped.

Kallakudi agitation against the name Dalmiapuram

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

India recognises Sri Lankan sovereignty over Katchatheevu

Under the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement, India accepted Katchatheevu island in the Palk Strait as Sri Lankan territory.

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.

Vanniyar reservation agitation

The Vanniyar Sangam led a road blockade agitation in northern Tamil Nadu demanding separate reservation for the Vanniyar community.

Pakistan win a close Test against India at Chepauk

Pakistan beat India by 12 runs at Chepauk in the first Test of their first tour of India in 12 years, despite Sachin Tendulkar's 136.

Kodaikanal mercury thermometer factory shut

Protests forced the closure of Hindustan Unilever's mercury thermometer factory at Kodaikanal over contamination.

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.

Ram Setu affidavit controversy

A government affidavit telling the Supreme Court there was no historical proof that Adam's Bridge was built by Rama intensified opposition to the Sethusamudram canal.

Self-immolation of K. Muthukumar

Journalist K. Muthukumar set himself on fire in Chennai in protest against the killing of Tamil civilians in the Sri Lankan war.

Police and lawyers clash in the Madras High Court

A police action against lawyers on the Madras High Court campus led to an inquiry by former Supreme Court judge B. N. Srikrishna.

End of the Sri Lankan civil war

The Sri Lankan army defeated the LTTE, ending a 26-year war that had deeply affected Tamil Nadu's politics.

Protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant

Fishing villages around Idinthakarai led a sustained movement against the Kudankulam nuclear plant, which nonetheless began operating in 2013 and 2014.

Student protests over Sri Lankan Tamils

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

Kudankulam reactor 1 connected to the grid

Following years of delay and protest, the first VVER-1000 reactor at Kudankulam was synchronised with the power grid.

Tamil Nadu parties oppose Rajapaksa's invitation to Modi's swearing-in

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's attendance at Narendra Modi's swearing-in drew opposition from parties across Tamil Nadu.

Green tribunal hears challenge to the Theni neutrino observatory

Acting on a petition against the environmental clearance for the India-based Neutrino Observatory in Theni district, the National Green Tribunal issued notices.

Pro-jallikattu protests at Marina Beach

Mass protests led largely by students and youth at Marina Beach forced an ordinance and then a state law allowing jallikattu.

Neduvasal protests against hydrocarbon extraction

Villagers of Neduvasal in Pudukkottai district protested against a central plan to extract hydrocarbons from farmland.

Death of S. Anitha and the NEET protests

Dalit student S. Anitha, who had challenged NEET in the Supreme Court, died by suicide, triggering protests across the state.

Cyclone Ockhi strikes Kanyakumari

Cyclone Ockhi caused heavy damage in Kanyakumari district and many fishermen out at sea were lost.

Thoothukudi anti-Sterlite police firing

Police fired on protesters marching against the Sterlite copper smelter in Thoothukudi, killing 13 people; the state ordered the plant closed.

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.

Sathankulam custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix

A father and son detained by Sathankulam police during the lockdown died after being beaten in custody, causing national outrage.

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.

Murder of BSP state president K. Armstrong

Prominent Dalit leader K. Armstrong, who headed the Bahujan Samaj Party in Tamil Nadu, was hacked to death near his house in Chennai.

Anna University campus sexual assault case

A student was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus; the sole accused was convicted and sentenced to life in 2025.

Parandur airport project dropped

Chief Minister Vijay announced in the Assembly that the proposed second Chennai airport at Parandur would be scrapped and a new site sought.