Way back in the year 1922,some of the Karkathars living in Madras came together and they decided to form an Associ- ation of Karkathars.Thiru Rathinam Pillai,an Educationalist of those days took the lead in forming the Association and also was elected the first President of the Chennai Karkathar Association.
The initial enthusiasm waned during the subsequent per- iod and there was a lull in the activities of the association for some six years. Again Thiru Rathinam Pillai re-formed the association, framed a constitution and had a body elected for the governance of the Association. With great vision he also saw to it that the Association so formed was registered under the societies act.
The Karkathar community now is generally a middle class agricultural community which clustered certain areas in the cholanad; the members of that community occupy whole areas in Tanjavur district in the Sirkali, Mayuram, Kumbakonam and Nannilam taluks; large areas in Karaikkal, in Nagappattinam and Papanasanam taluks; whole areas in the Chidambaram and Vriddha- chalam taluks of South Arcot district; large areas in Udayar- palayam, Thiruchi, and Lalgudi taluks in the Tiruchirapalli district; they occupy large pockets in the Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Ambasamudram taluks of Madurai district and Sattur, Srivil- liputtur and Aruppukkottai taluks of Ramanathapuram district. The first world war had dislodged them from their pinnacles and sent them job hunting and settled them in, urban areas like Madras, Tanjavur and Thiruchirapalli.
The association is offering financial assistance to all deserving students, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Applications are invited from deserving, poor students for scholarship every year to pursue school and collegiate education.