From fictitious Chief Minister to Naladiyar as ‘poet’: Tamil writer Perumal Murugan flags ‘literary scam’ in Periyar Arivulagam

Tamil writer Perumal Murugan has flagged allegations of a "literary scam" in the Periyar Arivulagam library project in Coimbatore. The project, initiated by the DMK government, has come under scrutiny after Murugan, a renowned author, examined the books on display and raised concerns about irregularities in the procurement process.

Perumal Murugan wrote an article titled "Periyar Arivulagathil Periya Oozhal" in the online portal Sindhai, detailing his observations. He expressed confusion over the timeline of when the books were purchased, stating that it is the government's responsibility to provide clarification.

School Education Minister Rajmohan, who oversees Tamil Development, Information, and Publicity, announced that an inquiry would be initiated immediately. He expressed deep concern over the allegations, stating that a scam in a library named after Periyar would be unacceptable. Rajmohan pledged that anyone involved in the irregularities would be held accountable and justice would be served.

Perumal Murugan listed several authors whose names appeared on the books, including Trisha Vijay, Jothi Saravanan, Thamarai Panneer, and others. He questioned the authenticity of some of the writers and the publications they were associated with. For instance, he pointed out a book titled "Bharathiyar Kathaikal" (Short Stories of Bharathiyar) with Manisha Saravanan credited as the author, but expressed doubt about whether the stories were genuinely written by Bharathiyar or merely about him.

Another book that caught Perumal Murugan's attention was "Naladiyar Vaazhvin Vazhikaatu," a 350-page volume priced at ₹1,445. He pointed out that the book describes Naladiyar as one of the important Tamil poets and philosophers, despite Naladiyar being a collection of verses attributed to a group of Jain Tamil monks whose individual identities remain unknown.

The DMK chief, Stalin, visited the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore and urged the youth to learn about the ideals of Periyar. He also laid the foundation stone for a new integrated Coimbatore District DMK office at Neelambur.