- AM Sudhakar
- For BBC Tamil
Key features
- Information related to a controversial question in Tamil Nadu’s Periyar University has sparked controversy.
- The Tamil Nadu government has said that action will be taken based on the report of the committee set up to investigate the dispute.
- University Vice-Chancellor Jagannathan has assured that a proper inquiry will be conducted into the matter.
- The Vice-Chancellor explained that the question paper for this examination was prepared by professors of another university.
A question on caste in the question paper of the first-year post-graduate history examination held at Periyar University in Salem, Tamil Nadu on Thursday (July 14) has sparked controversy. University Vice-Chancellor Jagannathan has assured that a proper inquiry will be conducted into the matter.
Periyar University is located in Salem named after Periyar who fought for atheism, superstition, caste abolition, women’s rights etc. Semester exams are currently going on in this university.
“Which of these is the lowest caste of Tamil Nadu” in the first year second semester examination question paper for MA history course. The names of four castes namely Mahar, Nadar, Ezhawar and Harijan were mentioned as optional answers.
The fact that this question has been asked in a university named after Periyar has raised strong objections from various quarters.
Opposition Leader of Tamil Nadu and Interim General Secretary of AIADMK, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, objected to this question and said in his Twitter post, “The university named after Periyar is defaming his principles. Is it the Dravidian model of the DMK government to raise caste inequality and ask caste-related questions in semester exams? Is this DMK’s social justice?” has raised a question.
We spoke to Periyar Dravida Kazhagam president Kolathur Mani for BBC Tamil about this issue.
“In the question asked only one caste in Tamilnadu is mentioned in it. We do not prepare question papers in this matter, they are prepared in other colleges,” said the vice-chancellor. In practice, however, Periyar University has a review committee for each department for the exam. If so, it will be the same for the history department. They won’t print it without researching it. It must have been the ill-intentioned person in that group who allowed the question,” Kolathur Mani said.
Kolathur Mani, President – Periyar Dravida Kazhagam
“There is no need to ask such a question in history,” he said.
And he should have done this only by those who have internalized the idea of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party that he should instill caste consciousness and gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu through it. Periyar University is till now the only university which does not use reservation in advertisement itself. “They have never advertised destitute, widows, disabled, ex-servicemen,” he said.
“There was only one Muslim professor here. He was also suspended for 15 days. They give some reason for that too. But the reason is that they don’t accept Muslims,” Kolathur Mani alleged.
Vice-Chancellor Explanation
Jaganathan, Vice-Chancellor – Periyar University
Periyar University Vice-Chancellor Jeganathan spoke to the media about this. Then he said, “The relevant question paper was not prepared in Periyar University. It was prepared by professors in other universities. The university does not have the practice of reading the examination paper to avoid its leakage.”
“I have not received any complaint in this regard. If there is such a case, a proper investigation will be conducted,” he said.
In this situation, in a press release issued by the Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department of Tamil Nadu regarding this matter, “There has been condemnation in the media regarding the question about caste. Regarding this question, a committee has been formed at the level of a higher official of the Higher Education Department and a proper investigation will be conducted based on its report and appropriate action will be taken against the wrongdoers by the department.” It is reported that.
BBC Tamil on Social Media: