General Introduction :

The Indian Freedom Movement brought different sections of Indian community under one banner. The Tamil Community did not stay out. The Gandhian principle of Ahimsa found an easy acceptance with Tamils, as it was in tune with their own traditional mental disposition. All boundaries of clan and caste, religion and region got blurred and the the Tamils stood together to uproot the alien rule. Non co-operation, Salt Satyagraha, Boycotting of foreign clothes - in every form of freedom struggle the Tamil involvement was total. V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, Subramania Bharathi, Thiru Vi.Ka., E.V.R. Periar, Subramania Siva, V.V.S. Iyer, Rajaji and Satyamoorthy were but a few among the countless nationalist Tamil leaders. Women too made their mark in the glorious movement - noteworthy, among them being Valliammai and Nagammai. We present in this lesson a brief account of the role of Tamils in the Freedom Struggle and the culture they upheld through the movement.