An uproar that marked the State’s name change from ‘Madras’ to ‘Tamil Nadu’

On February 24, 2026 the BJP-led authorities astatine the Centre approved the connection of the CPI(M)-led authorities successful Kerala to alteration the State’s sanction to ‘Keralam’, the sanction utilized successful the Malayalam language. Nearly 50 years ago, the Congress authorities did this for Tamil Nadu erstwhile the DMK regime, which came to bureau dislodging the nationalist enactment from power, had wanted the rubric of the State to beryllium changed from ‘Madras’ to Tamil Nadu. 

It is communal cognition that the “moment of frisson,” arsenic described by diplomat-turned-writer R. Kannan successful his perceptive book, The DMK Years, came connected July 18, 1967, astir 4 months aft the Dravidian large captured powerfulness successful a sensational manner, unseating the Congress that ruled the State for 20 years. On that day, the State Assembly adopted a solution unanimously, calling for the alteration successful the sanction of the State. 

But, arsenic aboriginal arsenic successful March 1961, the Congress authorities informed the Legislative Council and the Assembly that it would hereafter limit, successful authoritative connection successful Tamil, the usage of the sanction ‘Chennai’ to the superior of the State and that of ‘Tamil Nadu’ to the State. R. Venkataraman, who was the past Industries Minister successful the Congress regime, had called the State “Tamizh Nadu.

However, determination are galore chartless oregon little known facets of the section regarding the alteration of the name. It was connected Tamil New Year Day (April 14, 1967) that the past Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai formally initiated the process of the sanction alteration erstwhile helium switched connected the caller neon-light sanction committee of the State Government implicit the Secretariat that read: ‘Tamizhagha Arasu - Thalaimai Cheyalagam’ (Tamil Nadu Government Chief Secretariat).

The past Education Minister V.R. Nedunchezhian called for giving 2nd spot successful sanction boards to English for the payment of non-Tamils. The second went to the grade of saying that the change-over was a “fruition of the longings” of writer Subramania Bharati who had dreamt of a large and glorious aboriginal for Tamil and Tamil Nadu. Then Public Works (PWD) Minister M. Karunanidhi said immoderate critics had contended the connection ‘Tamizhagham’ did not find a spot successful past grammar texts. But, the epic, Silappadikaram, made notation of the word, The Hindu’s report, published connected April 16, 1967, quoted him arsenic having said. 

It was lone a twelvemonth aboriginal that the Union authorities sent a draught Bill connected the sanction alteration to the DMK authorities for feedback. Originally, the State was to beryllium called successful Tamil ‘Tamil Nad.’ But, the spelling was changed to ‘Tamil Nadu’ connected the proposition of the country’s erstwhile Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji oregon CR), said different study of this paper connected April 24, 1968. This time, the regular had quoted the past Law Minister S. Madhavan. 

Enough play was successful store 7 months aboriginal erstwhile the Bill was to beryllium taken up by the Lok Sabha for information and adoption. At 3:18 p.m. connected November 21, Deputy Speaker Raghunath Keshav Khadilkar, called Union Home Minister Y.B. Chavan to determination the Bill to change the sanction of Madras State but the Minister was “absent.” So were his inferior Ministers. The Deputy Speaker observed that Chavan was “not here,” states the transcript of the statement of the House for the day. Immediately, K. Rajaram, who was the Salem MP, representing the DMK, suggested that the Congress MP of Tenkasi (SC) R.S. Arumugam present the Bill. Another parliamentarian from the DMK, V. Krishnamoorthi, aboriginal popularly known arsenic Nellikuppam Krishnamoorthi, complained that “the Ministers indispensable beryllium present astatine slightest to determination the bill.” 

The Congress MP from Bombay-Central, R.D. Bhandare, besides an advocator and prof of law, sought to find a mode out, by stating Law Minister [P. Govinda Menon, an alumnus of the Madras Law College and Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin during 1955-56] could array the Bill. But, the reply from the Deputy Speaker was: “Unless helium [Law Minister] writes to maine that helium would similar to enactment successful the spot of idiosyncratic else, I cannot licence it. If helium writes, I volition licence him.” When Krishnamoorthi volunteered to determination the Bill, Khadilkar adjourned the House.

When the House met again aft astir an hour, Praja Socialist Party’s MP from Balasore (Odisha) Samarendra Kundu, who aboriginal became Minister of State for External Affairs during the Janata authorities (1977-79), came down heavy connected the Ministers. “It is simply a disgrace to the House that [the] Ministers bash not travel prepared, they bash not instrumentality the House seriously,” Kundu said. When helium wanted the Ministers to beryllium dismissed, determination were interruptions successful the Lok Sabha. 

Subsequently, a seasoned Communist person Hirendranath Mukherjee (Calcutta – North East), amended known arsenic Hiren Mukherjee, roseate to speak, and helium excessively did not spare the government. Pointing retired helium had been a subordinate of the House since 1952, Mukherjee said “something has happened which is without precedent.” He had besides consulted a idiosyncratic “who was associated with the Central Legislature [Central Legislative Assembly, a precursor to Parliament post-Independence]” and helium was told determination was nary specified precedent.

Referring to the Deputy Speaker’s determination to adjourn the House, the seasoned Communist called it “an look of censure connected the moving of the government, not connected the authorities of the government.” The DMK’s MP from Mettur, S. Kandappan, stated not a azygous Minister from the Home Ministry was present, erstwhile the House had to transact concern connected the Bill. Though Deputy Ministers for Defence and Law were contiguous on with different Ministers, the Bill’s instauration was not done. “I had a feeling whether they were not astatine each funny successful passing this Bill. If that is not so, what prevented them to instrumentality it up?”

Kundu was again allowed to speak, holding each the Union Ministers liable for their attraction of the House “in a casual and cavalier manner.” Expressing his shock, helium added the Ministers “care a hoot for this Parliament.” The Ministers, “this Congress Government, person wholly usurped the privilege of this House,” helium added.

The lively parliamentarian of Swatantra Party and Godhra’s representative, Piloo Mody, known for sarcasm and bitter disapproval of Indira Gandhi, made scathing remarks connected the Congress government: “Over a play of years, we person recovered an authoritarian inclination processing successful this state which, much and more, has begun to dainty Parliament simply arsenic a relation of Government alternatively of the essence of it. We person found, implicit the years, that immoderate is discussed successful Parliament is not adequately considered by the Government, and the Government has begun to see itself arsenic an entity isolated from Parliament, not deriving its conscionable powers from Parliament.” The Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP)’s MP from Bombay South, George Fernandes, who earned the sobriquet of “giant killer” by defeating erstwhile Union Minister S.K. Patil successful 1967, had adjacent fixed a announcement for the breach of privilege, which was disallowed by the Chair.

Chavan clarified to the House helium was successful the Rajya Sabha erstwhile the Bill had to beryllium moved for the archetypal time. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Subhag Singh and Minister of State for Home, V.C. Shukla expressed apology implicit the lack of the Ministers concerned. Both called the occurrence of lack a “lapse.” Singh assured the House “we volition bash our champion to spot that it ne'er recurs.”

Shukla recalled that successful 1956, the State legislature, which had considered the contented of sanction change, decided not to urge immoderate change. On April 4, 1961, the State authorities issued an order, directing their officers that Tamil Nadu should beryllium utilized arsenic the sanction of Madras State successful each aboriginal authoritative correspondence, successful Tamil. Tracing the little past of the Bill, Shukla explained the authorities was guided by the wishes of the legislature. He described arsenic “unfortunate” the observations of Kandappan.

Menon clarified wherefore the sanction alteration was being made done a specified portion of authorities and not done an amendment to the Constitution. Quoting the essence of the Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling successful the I.C. Golak Nath & Ors. vs. The State of Punjab & Ors. case, the Law Minster said that lone the sanction alteration – from ‘Madras’ to ‘Tamil Nadu’ - had been projected and “there is nary abridgement of cardinal rights arsenic guaranteed by Article 31A [which comes nether Part III titled Fundamental Rights].”

Murasoli Maran (DMK), thanking the authorities for the Bill, said for the past 15 years, the radical of his State had been wanting a sanction “hallowed by their agelong past and the affluent bequest of their connection to beryllium fixed to their State.”

On November 22, Chavan, portion participating successful the statement connected the Bill, apologised for his lack the erstwhile day. He disclosed to the House that erstwhile helium had a treatment connected the subject, the Chief Minister Annadurai had thought of immoderate different “musical name.” But Annadurai was prevailed upon by him to person a “name which would beryllium understood by all.” During his speech, Chavan recounted a sojourn by a Tamil scholar, who spoke successful Tamil for astir 15 minutes astatine an lawsuit connected his [Chavan’s] petition and told the House that “it is simply a precise philharmonic language.” Describing the measurement arsenic a wide look of nationalist pride, the Home Minster hoped the caller sanction would bring the State 1 measurement nearer to integration of the country.

The Hindu reported adjacent time that “new crushed was breached erstwhile a Union Minister [for Transport and Shipping] Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao, besides participated successful the debate, supporting the measure. He appealed to the ruling enactment successful Madras to spot that Hindi acquired an honoured spot successful Tami Nadu.”

This newspaper, successful its editorial connected November 25, 1968, cited the unanimous enactment successful the Lok Sabha for the authorities and stated that “no 1 extracurricular grudges Tamil Nadu the sanction of its choice.” On December 1, astatine what was past called Children’s Theatre and aboriginal renamed arsenic Kalaivanar Arangam [which stood astatine the contiguous tract of the recently-built operation having the identical name] connected the Government Estate successful Chennai, the renaming of the State was celebrated with Chief Minister Annadurai making his archetypal nationalist quality aft the unwellness of crab successful the gullet. He was fixed a lasting ovation erstwhile helium roseate to speak, this paper reported connected December 2, 1968. He called for steps to facilitate “Tamilians to unrecorded arsenic Tamilians” and unafraid the much-needed changes successful the governmental sphere for the State wrong the model of the country’s law framework.

On December 5, the Rajya Sabha adopted the Bill. The caller sanction came into unit connected January 14, 1969, the time of ‘Thai Pongal.’