Anna play to remain in university’s textbook

CHENNAI: A day after media reported a circular by the state-run Alagappa University to remove a play authored by former chief minister C N Annadurai from textbooks, state higher education minister K P Anbalagan said the circular has been withdrawn and a committee constituted to look into how the decision was arrived at.
The minister told TOI that the dean of the college development council had acted on his own without the university vice-chancellor consent for removing the play.
“The dean has been issued a memo seeking an explanation,” he said. “The VC has sent a circular to all the affiliated and constituent colleges announcing withdrawal of the earlier communication suggesting removal of the play. Therefore the old syllabus will continue to be in effect.”
Earlier on Monday, VC N Rejendran told reporters that there was no clarity on how the dean acted on his own and proposed changes in the syllabus which was approved by the board of studies, the academic council and the syndicate.
“Departmental action would be initiated against him based on the committee’s report,” he said.
Dean S Rajamohan , however, maintained that the changes were proposed based on recommendations made by the board of studies. The play titled ‘Neethi Devan Mayakkam’ has been included in a textbook for the fourth term of MA Tamil students in all the 40 affiliated and constituent colleges under the varsity.
The play criticising Ramayana and Mahabaratha was supposed to be replaced with another play on Raja Raja Chozhan by Aru Ramanathan.
The move spurred widespread criticism including from the opposition DMK. The university on Sunday said that the changes were made since students were unable to get guides explaining the play.
Dravidar Kazhgam leader K Veeramani had ridiculed this by stating the said play is meant for common people across Tamil Nadu, and it has a straightforward narrative that needs no guide or explanation.
He suspected it was part of efforts to saffronize education in India, and demanded an investigation into the matter.