A symbol of determination: Adi Dravidar Hindu Primary School in Thalavaipuram. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
In 1924, in the Gurukulam established by VVS Iyer in Cheranmahadevi, Tirunelveli, Brahmin and non-Brahmin students were forced to dine separately. This caste discrimination at Gurukulam played a key role in Tamil Nadu politics when Periyar EV Ramasamy left the Congress to form the Dravidar Kazhagam. As the incident rocked civil society, Soosaiappar Primary School on Arasadi Street in Cheranmahadevi, which completed 50 years, stood out as a shining example of empowerment of Scheduled Castes (SC) through education. Students from other castes also studied at the school. The school was founded in 1874 by a prominent Catholic elder from the community without any help from Christian missionaries. It now functions as a government-aided primary school.
SC’s efforts in setting up schools were not limited to Tirunelveli district. To strengthen the community, its leaders established similar schools throughout the state. These institutions were identified as Adi Dravida, long before the term “Dalit” gained currency. There are now 28 SC established schools functioning as government aided primary schools in Tirunelveli. Half a century ago, there were over 50 such schools.
J. Balasubramaniam, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism, Madurai Kamaraj University, studied these schools in Tirunelveli. “It is widely believed that efforts to empower Dalits through education were mainly led by the British, Christian missionaries and reform organizations,” he said. Although the prevailing perception is that SCs lacked the resources to build institutions, these schools, he said, were testament to the role of the community in promoting education and social upliftment.
Published – 17 Apr 2026 05:30 IST
