SOCIAL REFORMS CAMPAIGNS AND WELFARE PROGRAMMES

1889: 26th November – First free school for boys was started by Hindu Nadars with funds raised by Pidi-arisi given by Nadar women.

1895: The community welfare association, the Kshatriya Mahajana Sangam, was formed for the welfare of the community

1910 The Kshatriya Mahajana sangam was renamed as Nadar Mahajana Sangam by Porayar T.Rathinasamy nadar and aimed to promote the general welfare of the Nadars, 'the interests and rights of the community'.

1920-30 WPA Soundrapandian of Pattiveeranpatti, the undisputed crown of the Nadar community urged the Nadars to discard the sacred thread and to boycott the Brahmin priests, including for marriages.

1921, Nadar Mahajana Sangam consitutued educational loan scholorship schmes for the disadvantaged people within the community.

1923, WPA Soundrapandianar lead the agitation to get equal rights for low caste people to travel in pubic transport with dignity.

1929, Nadar Mahajana Sangam annual conference at Porayar called for Nadars to put an end to the practice of animal sacrifice in Nadar family deity temples and village amman temples especially Mutharamman temples. In Mukkudal, the animal sacrifice was stopped in Muthu Maliamman / Perisamy temple with the initiative SDA nadar f/of Sivaprakasam,

1925: Self Respect movement was started. W.P.A.Soundrapandianar took up the leadership role in eliminating the, blind belifes (THEETUS)

1929 The first self respect movement of Periyar was presided over by W.P. A. Soundarapandian. Sir RK. Shanmugam occupied the chair in the third provincial conference that met at Viruthunagar with large participation by Nadar community 1931,

1931 E.V. Ramasami Periyar had held the first women's conference on self-respect at Virudhunagar with the support of Nadar women. The women were initiated into the Self Respect movement to remove blind and meaningless customs from the society through the conference organized by Nadar Paribalana sangam at Virudhunagar.

Untouchability (Theettu) associated with women, lower caste, during certain birth, growth cycle rituals and death related traditional ceremonies & theettu associated during mourning period and several other rigid and harsh brahminic rituals were taken by community people with deep rationalization and logical analysis.

Kumbakonam Annual Nadar Conference

The community decision to conduct reforemed social marriage without engaging Brahmins was announced at nadar conference held at Kumbakonam and then effectively implemented by the elders of the community. Several Nadar Community elders have started practicing Reformed Self Respect marriages based on Teachings of Thirukkural. Rationalism appears to have been initiated by the major section of the community elders collective courage . Not only Brahmins and their mantras were utterly avoided; but meaningless rituals, piling mud pots, one on another, having the traditional lamp during day time, ritual smoke - all these were mostly avoided by vast majority of the people. Horoscope matching was largely considered as unwarranted.

1952, at the annual Nadar conference the resolution was passed to establish the norms for “Samudhaya Valarchiye Naattin Valarchi” meaining that while working for the welfare of the Nadar Community growth of country will be parallelly cared for.

In 1964, at the annual Nadar conference it was decided that all the educational, social and religious institutions started by Nadars should be useful to any community member of the country and resolved to develop casteless society.

1967: LEGALISING OF SELF RESPECT MARRIAGES

Several community people who adopted self respect marriages were living without any legal approval for the family, business and properties. The 1967 the then Chief Minster Mr.C.N.Annadurai amended the law inserting Section 7A into the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.