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{{Indian name|Dharmambal|Saminathan}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Saminathan Dharmambal
| birth_date = 1890
| birth_place = Karuntattankudi, [[Madras presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 20 May {{Death year and age|1959|1890}}
| monuments = Memorial in Moolakothalam, [[Chennai]]
| occupation = Social activist, [[women's rights]] activist
| spouse = Munisamy Naidu
| known for = Founder of Manavar Mandram ("Student Forum")
| awards = ''vira Tamil annai'' ("Heroic Tamil Mother")
}}

'''Saminathan Dharmambal''' (1890–1959) was an Indian [[Activism|social activist]] and [[women's rights]] activist. She is remembered for her contributions to the [[Tamil language]] and involvement in the [[Anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–40]]. 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]],<ref name="Ramaswamy1997">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=La8wDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA188|title=Passions of the Tongue: Language Devotion in Tamil India, 1891–1970|last=Sumathi Ramaswamy|date=20 November 1997|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20805-6|pages=182, 188}}</ref> [[Madras Presidency]]. She married drama actor Munisamy Naidu and moved to [[Chennai]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://keetru.com/index.php/2010-06-24-04-33-44/sinthanaiyalan-aug18/35745-2018-09-03-04-46-03|title=வீரத் தமிழன்னை டாக்டர் எஸ்.தருமாம்பாள்|website=keetru.com}}</ref>

== 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]] system through legislation.<ref name="auto"/> She also actively participated in the [[Self-Respect Movement]].<ref name="University2017">{{cite book|author=Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru University|title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALUvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA30|date=25 August 2017|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-5381-0686-0|pages=30}}</ref> 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")<ref name="University2007">{{cite book|author=Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru University|title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC&pg=PR57|date=22 May 2007|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6445-0|pages=57}}</ref> on [[Periyar E. V. Ramasamy|E. V. Ramasamy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tndipr.gov.in/memorials/periyar-annamemorial.html|title=PERIYAR - ANNA MEMORIAL, ERODE THANTHAI PERIYAR|website=tndipr.gov.in|quote=The title Periyar was Awarded by Dr.Tharambal and Ramamirthammal to E.V.Ramasamy in 13.11.1938 during the Tamil Nadu Women's Conference in Chennai presided by Neelambigaiyar, daughter of Maraimalai Adigalar.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tamil.thehindu.com/society/women/article20551096.ece|title=வரலாற்றுத் தடம்: அவர் ஏன் பெரியார் ஆனார்?|work=[[The Hindu (Tamil)]]|quote=தினந்தோறும் போராட்டமும் கைதுமாகத் தொடர்ந்தது. அதைத் தொடர்ந்துதான் தர்மாம்பாள், மீனாம்பாள் சிவராஜ், நாராயணி அம்மாள் போன்ற பெண்கள் அவருக்குப் ‘பெரியார்’ என்று பட்டம் சூட்ட முடிவெடுத்தனர். 1938 நவம்பர் 13 அன்று சென்னையில் முற்போக்குப் பெண்கள் சங்க மாநாடு நடத்தப்பட்டது.}}</ref> A day after the conference, on 14 November 1938, Dharmambal and other women activists picketed a school and were arrested.<ref>{{cite journal |last1= S|first1= Anandhi|date= May–June 1991|title= Women's Question in the Dravidian Movement c. 1925-1948|journal= Social Scientist|volume= 19|issue= 5/6|pages= 24-41|doi=10.2307/3517871 |jstor= 3517871}}</ref>

Dharmambal founded the Manavar Mandram ("Student Forum") to bring education in Tamil to the youth of [[Chennai]]. 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]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.vikatan.com/news/womens/83873-better-schemes-for-women-and-the-women-who-made-them-successful.html |title=பெண்களுக்கான நலத்திட்டங்களும்.... திட்டத்தை சிறப்பிக்கும் சாதனைப் பெண்களும்! |date=17 March 2017 |work=Vikatan |language=ta}}</ref>

She was a practitioner of [[Siddha medicine]].<ref name="Ramaswamy1997"/> She donated her home in Karuntattankudi to the [[Karanthai Tamil Sangam]], a language society.<ref name="Ramaswamy1997" /> She helped actor [[N. S. Krishnan]] present his appeal in the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] in the [[Lakshmikanthan murder case]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vikatan.com/news/politics/68483-women-leaders-emerged-through-thoughts-of-periyar.html|title=பெரியாரிஸம் உருவாக்கிய பெண் பேராளுமைகள்! | Women leaders emerged through thoughts of Periyar|date=September 17, 2016|website=Vikatan.com|quote=கலைவாணர் என். எஸ். கிருஷ்ணனை 'இந்து நேசன்' பத்திரிகை ஆசிரியர் லட்சுமிகாந்தன் கொலை வழக்கிலிருந்து காப்பாற்ற இலண்டன் பிரிவியூ கவுன்சில் வரை சென்று வழக்கு நடத்தி மீட்டு வந்தவர்.}}</ref> In a meeting in 1951, she was given the title of ''vira Tamil annai'' ("Heroic Tamil Mother") for her contributions to the [[Tamil language]], especially for promoting Tamil education to youth through the Student Forum.<ref name="Ramaswamy1997"/>

== Legacy ==
Dharmambal died on 20 May 1959. A memorial to her was erected in Moolakothalam, Chennai.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/moolakothalam-memorial-will-be-protected-ops/article23315824.ece|title=Moolakothalam memorial will be protected: OPS|date=22 March 2018|work= The Hindu}}</ref> The [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] introduced a scheme in 1975 to provide financial assistance to widows for remarriage in her honour.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/Widows-divorcees-break-taboo-in-Tamil-Nadu/articleshow/12257224.cms |title=Widows, divorcees break taboo in Tamil Nadu |date=14 March 2012 |work=Times of India}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharmambal, S.}}

[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:Tamil-language activists]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]

S. Dharmambal - Revision history

>Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 11 templates: del empty params (3×); cvt lang vals (1×);