Saminathan Dharmambal (1890–1959) was an Indian

social activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist. She is remembered for her contributions to the

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Pudu ...

and involvement in the

Anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–40 The Anti-Hindi imposition agitation of 1937–40 is a series of protests that happened in Madras Presidency of the British Raj during 1937-40. It was launched in 1937 in opposition to the introduction of compulsory teaching of Hindi in the scho ...

. In 1951, she was given the title of ''vira Tamil annai'' ("Heroic Tamil Mother").

Early life

Dharmambal was born in 1890 to Saminathan Chettiyar and Pappammal in Karuntattankudi (also known as Karanthai) near

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

. She married drama actor Munisamy Naidu and moved to

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Activities

Dharmambal was the secretary of the Tamil Women's Association, which was instrumental in safeguarding women's rights and education for girls. She supported Muthulakshmi Reddi's attempt to abolish the

Devadasi In India, a devadasi was a female artist who was dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication took place in a ceremony that was somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

system through legislation. She also actively participated in the Self-Respect Movement. She was one of the organisers of the 1938 conference of the Progressive Women's Association, which bestowed the title of Periyar ("Respected One" or "Elder") on

E. V. Ramasamy Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'F ...

. A day after the conference, on 14 November 1938, Dharmambal and other women activists picketed a school and were arrested. Dharmambal founded the Manavar Mandram ("Student Forum") to bring education in Tamil to the youth of

. She conducted ''Elavu varam'' (a week of mourning) to get equal pay for the Tamil teachers. She supported the remarriage of widows and

inter-caste marriage Intercaste marriage (ICM), also known as marrying out of caste, is a form of exogamous nuptial union that involve two individuals belonging to different castes. Intercaste marriages are particularly perceived as socially unacceptable and taboo in mo ...

s. She was a practitioner of

Siddha medicine Siddha medicine is a form of traditional medicine originating in southern India. It is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. In rural India, have learned methods traditionally through master-disciple relationships to become loca ...

. She donated her home in Karuntattankudi to the Karanthai Tamil Sangam, a language society. She helped actor

N. S. Krishnan Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar () and also as NSK, was an Indian actor-comedian, theatre artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is conside ...

present his appeal in the

Privy Council of the United Kingdom The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of e ...

in the Lakshmikanthan murder case. In a meeting in 1951, she was given the title of ''vira Tamil annai'' ("Heroic Tamil Mother") for her contributions to the

, especially for promoting Tamil education to youth through the Student Forum.

Legacy

Dharmambal died on 20 May 1959. A memorial to her was erected in Moolakothalam, Chennai. The

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

introduced a scheme in 1975 to provide financial assistance to widows for remarriage in her honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharmambal, S. 1890 births Tamil language activists Indian women activists 1959 deaths