Insta
St Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, ‘Postpones’ Seminar On ‘Misogyny In Tamil Literature’ After Complaints Pour In
Swarajya Staff
Nov 26, 2018, 01:47 PM | Updated 01:47 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
An effort to ‘polarise’ communities in Tamil Nadu has been thwarted by the state government, after complaints of religious hurt poured in, reports The Hindu.
The Department of Tamil at St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, had to ‘postpone’ a seminar titled ‘Harassment of women as registered in Tamil Literature’, after Minister for Tamil Culture ‘Ma Foi’ Pandiarajan intervened and said he would not allow the ‘derogatory and slanderous’ event.
The principal of the college, M Arockiasamy, responded by saying that the seminar stood ‘postponed’ as the institution was ‘busy’ with ‘flood relief’ for cyclone Gaja.
The Minister made his stand clear after complaints of disrespect shown to Tamil and Vedic culture came in from various quarters. “When there are numerous Tamil literary works that glorify women and Tamil culture, a poisonous idea that Tamil literature demeaned women should not be allowed to be sown,” Pandiarajan said. “The State government will ensure that the seminar does not happen,” he added.
The organisers had invited research works on ‘male domination’ from the Vedic period, leading to the outrage. Some of the suggested topics for research were ‘Male dominated thoughts in Kambar Ramayanam’, ‘The plight of Surpanakha in Ramayana’ and the ‘Oppression of Panchali by men’.
BJP national secretary H Raja, taking exception to the veiled denigration of Hinduism, and the subtle marketing of Christian ideology, said it was an effort by missionaries and urban naxals to demean local culture and traditions and should be fought tooth and nail.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.