Tamil Nadu

"தமிழ்இலமேல் இகழ்ச்சி யுடைமை

பிறநாட்கண் பெற்ற துயர்." - Thiruvalluvar

"The pride of those who have mastered Tamil never fades,

But without it, suffering is like being lost in a foreign land."

Tamil Nadu, one of the southernmost Indian states, is the cradle of Dravidian civilisation and boasts a legacy of ancient temples, classical music, and dance. Tamil Nadu is also the home of the Tamil language, one of the oldest in the world. The state has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful dynasties, including the Cholas, Pandyas, and Pallavas. Tamil Nadu continues to thrive as a hub for education, industry, and spirituality. This cultural pride would later fuel major political movements, including the renaming of the state.

Colonial era

Before its independence, British India was divided into major administrative regions known as the Madras, Bombay, and Bengal Presidencies. The Madras Presidency encompassed a vast portion of southern India, including what is now the state of Tamil Nadu, along with parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (Government of India, 1908). This presidency was home to all the prominent languages spoken across South India, reflecting the region's linguistic and cultural diversity.

In 1936, Oriya-speaking districts were separated from the Madras Presidency to form what is now the state of Orissa (present-day Odisha) (Government of Orissa, 2010). The remaining areas of the Madras Presidency continued as part of the Madras state under Independent India. After Independence, the Madras Presidency was renamed Madras State (Government of India, 1950). In this newly formed state, Telugu was the dominant language in the northern districts (except Bellary), while Tamil was the majority language in the southern districts, starting from and including the city of Madras  (Census of India, 1951). The coexistence of multiple linguistic groups in a single state eventually led to calls for linguistic reorganisation.

Post-independence

On 19 October 1952, Potti Sriramulu, a 51-year-old former sanitary engineer, railway employee, and dedicated follower of Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, embarked on a fast-unto-death. His demand was for the creation of a separate state for the Telugu-speaking population within the Madras state. This protest would eventually play a pivotal role in the formation of Andhra Pradesh. He continued his fast for 56 days before passing away, becoming a martyr in the eyes of many (Indian Culture, n.d.).

Potti Sreeramulu

The major issue of contention in the creation of a Telugu state revolved around the city of Madras, which was located on the linguistic border. The Tamils considered the city as their own, while the Telugus believed they could claim Madras due to their significant demographic and economic presence in the city. However, the Tamils had the explicit support of both the Union and state government leaders. In response, the centrally constituted JVP Committee in 1949 declared that an Andhra state could be formed, but only if the Telugu population relinquished their claim to the city of Madras. This compromise led to a volatile standoff that would be tested after Sriramulu's death (Lakshmi, 2024; Dutta Roy, 2022).

On 15 December 1952, after fifty-eight days of fasting, Potti Sriramulu passed away, triggering widespread anger and resentment among the pro-Andhra supporters. In the aftermath, government offices were attacked, public transportation was set on fire, and millions of rupees worth of public property were damaged, marking a turbulent period of unrest in the region. Although some records indicate he fasted for 56 days, the impact of his sacrifice remains undisputed.

In response to the public outrage following Sriramulu’s death, two days later, Prime Minister Nehru announced the formation of the Andhra State. Subsequently, in October 1953, the Andhra State was officially inaugurated as a Part A state, with its capital established in Kurnool, marking its separation from the Madras State.

The creation of Andhra State resulted in the isolation of the district of Bellary from the remainder of Madras State. Since Bellary had a Kannada-speaking majority, it was not incorporated into Andhra. Consequently, Bellary was integrated with Mysore State in 1953, coinciding with the establishment of Andhra State (Government of Karnataka, n.d.).

In 1953, the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was established to address the restructuring of state boundaries in India. In its 1955 report, the SRC made several key recommendations:

• The transfer of Kollegal Taluk: The commission proposed the transfer of the Kollegal taluk from the Coimbatore district to Mysore State.

• The merger of the Malabar District: It recommended the merger of the Malabar district with Travancore–Cochin, which later became part of Kerala State.

• The transfer of Kasaragod Taluk:

  The SRC suggested transferring the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara to Kerala in exchange for Tamil-speaking taluks located in the extreme south of Kerala State (SRC, 1955).

  
  

Once the redrawn Madras State was established on 1 November 1956, a movement emerged to rename the state to Tamil Nadu. This campaign was primarily spearheaded by C.N. Annadurai, the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Earlier, in 1956, Tamil activist Sankaralinganar had fasted for 76 days demanding the renaming of Madras State to Tamil Nadu. He died during the hunger strike, becoming a lesser-known but important martyr of Tamil identity. This act of sacrifice laid the moral foundation for the formal political demand that emerged a decade later.

In the 1967 assembly elections, the DMK achieved a decisive victory, leading to C.N. Annadurai becoming the Chief Minister. In July 1967, the legislative assembly of Madras State unanimously passed a resolution to rename the state. Consequently, on 14 January 1969, Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu. The renaming coincided with the Tamil harvest festival Pongal, symbolically reaffirming cultural pride and regional identity (Ramakrishnan, 2025).

References

• Government of India (1908). Imperial Gazetteer of India, volume 13. 1908. Oxford University Press, Oxford and London. 

  
  

• Government of India (1950). Constitution of India. 

  
  

• Government of India (1951). Census of India (1951). 

  
  

• Government of Karnataka (n.d.). About District. 

  
  

• Bhuyan, D. (2010). Emergence of Orissa as a Separate State and Contribution of Khallikote Raj Family. Orissa Review. 

  
  

• Indian Culture (n.d.). Potti Sriramulu. 

  
  

• Lakshmi, K. (2024). When Tamils and Telugus tussled for Madras. The Hindu.. 

  
  

• Ramakrishnan, T. (2025). From Madras State to Tamil Nadu in 1961. The Hindu. 

  
  

• Dutta Roy, P. (2022). Nehru couldn’t ignore Potti Sriramulu who gave India Andhra Pradesh by fasting till death. The Print. 

  
  

• SRC (1955). Report of the States Reorganisation Commission.