Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Renaming of TN

Mains level: Post-independence consolidation

Tamil Nadu Governor’s remarks suggesting changing the name of the state to ‘Tamizhagam’ has triggered a controversy.

What is the news?

Several political parties, including the TN CM, condemned the speech and recalled the struggle to rename the Madras State to Tamil Nadu.
It was on January 14, 1969, that the Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu, under the then Chief Minister CN Annadurai.

A short history of Tamil Nadu

Social activist E V Ramasamy, fondly known as ‘Periyar’ (1879-1973), had started the Self-Respect Movement in 1925 to “redeem the identity and self-respect” of Tamils.
He envisaged an independent Dravida homeland of Dravida Nadu (In Tamil, Nadu means country), comprising Tamil, and Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada speakers.
He launched a political party called the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).
Periyar also opposed the imposition of Hindi and emphasized the need for a cultural identity of the Tamil nation.

How Madras State became Tamil Nadu?

Formerly called Madras Province, it had been renamed Madras State on January 26, 1950.
The name Madras State did not become Tamil Nadu overnight.
Congress party worker ‘Thiyagi’ Sankaralingam was behind the first demand to change the name, in the 1950s, and made repeated representations.
In 1953, several Tamil scholars including Ma. Po. Sivagnanam raised the demand in the Madras Legislative Council.
In 1956, Congress leader K P Sankaralinganar began an indefinite fast. One of his demands was the renaming of the state to Tamil Nadu.
It is noted that Sankaralinganar fasted for 76 days, which resulted in his death on October 13, 1956. Sankaralinganar’s death further spurred on the fight for renaming the state.

Reception in Parliament

Around the same time, Member of Parliament and Communist leader from West Bengal, Bhupesh Gupta, moved a Bill in Parliament for renaming Madras State as Tamil Nadu.
At that time, CN Annadurai, who was a Rajya Sabha member, supported the move.
Speaking in favour of the Bill, Annadurai argued that a capital city (Madras) cannot become the name of a state and he also cited that the name Tamil Nadu had been used in ancient literature.

When it finally happened?

Cut to six years later, on July 18, 1967, CM Annadurai prepared a resolution in the State Assembly.
During the debate, Opposition Leader P G Karuthiraman said, “Madras is a name in world history; Tamil Nadu will take time to reach the same heights”.
So, he suggested that the name ought to be ‘Tamil Nadu-Madras State’.
But, after consensus, Tamil Nadu was accepted as the name and a resolution passed unanimously.

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