Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru C. Joseph Vijay Pays Floral Tribute to Freedom Fighter Anjalai Ammal on Her 137th Birth Anniversary Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru C. Joseph Vijay, on the occasion of the 137th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal, paid floral tribute to her portrait today (1.6.2026) in Chennai. Freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal was born in 1890 in Cuddalore old town to the couple Ammakannu and Muthumani. She studied up to the fifth standard at the Thinnai (verandah) school. From a young age, she was deeply devoted to the cause of freedom. When Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921, she took part in it and began her public life. Anjalai Ammal took part in various movements including the agitation to remove the statue of Neil, the Round Table Conference boycott protest, individual satyagraha, the boycott of foreign cloth, and the weavers' movement, and underwent imprisonment for over six years in total. While she was imprisoned at Vellore jail during pregnancy, the British government released freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal on what was called parole for her delivery, and after she gave birth, she was sent back to prison. Because she involved her daughter Leelavathi in the agitation to remove the statue of Neil, Anjalai Ammal's daughter too was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. When Thanthai Periyar, as leader of the Madras Presidency Congress party, campaigned in the streets of Cuddalore emphasizing the need to wear khadi cloth, Anjalai Ammal also took part, carrying bundles of khadi cloth on her head and selling them. Freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal sold her family property and the house she lived in for the freedom struggle, sacrificing everything for the nation. She devoted herself to the national freedom movement and endured great hardship for independence. Although her family lived in poverty for many days, in every circumstance they held the nation's welfare as their primary purpose and continued to fight for freedom. When Mahatma Gandhi came to Cuddalore, the British government imposed a ban on Anjalai Ammal meeting him. However, Anjalai Ammal defied the ban, disguised herself in a burqa (purdah), and went to meet Gandhi. For this, Mahatma Gandhi called her the "Jhansi Rani of the South." Freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal was elected twice, in 1937 and 1946, as a member of the Madras Presidency Legislative Assembly from the Cuddalore constituency. The life of freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal, who led a life of sacrifice for the welfare of the nation throughout her lifetime, remains forever worthy of reverence. Issued By: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9