A university in Tamil Nadu, named after rationalist reformer and Dravidian icon, Periyar EV Ramasamy, has issued a show cause notice to a faculty member for authoring two books, one on Periyar and another on Lord Macaulay, without obtaining permission from the varsity.

The Periyar University in Salem has issued the show cause notice to R Subramani, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and a government nominee in the varsity’s syndicate. According to the show cause notice sent last week, disciplinary action would be taken against him if he failed to submit his explanation within 15 days and if it was found not satisfactory.

This has rekindled the issue of academic freedom and victimisation since it was only last year that the University had sent him a memo to which he had replied. Then also it created a political storm with Periyarists and academics accusing the varsity of crushing academic freedom.

Publishing a book “Macaulay” in 2007, Subramani had added some more material on Periyar and published it under a new title, “Macaulay was an enemy of Conservative Education”, in 2023. Earlier, in 2022, he had come out with another book, “Periyar’s Battlefields”.

The university in November 2023, issued a memo, charging him with publishing them without prior permission. He submitted his explanation in December that year. Interestingly, Subramani is also the Director (in-charge) of the Periyar Chair, Anna Chair (established after Dravidian stalwart and late Chief Minister CN Annadurai) and Kalaignar Research Centre (established after late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi) at the varsity.

The Periyar University Teachers’ Association has come out in support of Subramani alleging that it is a clear case of political vendetta since he is a government nominee.

“These two books are collections of articles from newspapers and no permission is required for them. It is laughable to say that the Periyar Chair Director should not publish on Periyar. Moreover, Section 14(ii) of the University’s statute is clear that no permission is needed if the information is of literary, artistic and scientific, educational and cultural nature,” argues V Vaithianathan, PUTA president.

Expressing shock at the varsity’s action, Lok Sabha MP, D Ravikumar of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), has urged the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiyan to intervene in this issue and take steps to remove the statutory provision, if any, requiring university teachers to obtain prior permission to publishing their works.

He also impressed upon the need to encourage research among university faculty and revitalize the publication divisions in the state-run varsities.

Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiyan has assured to look into this matter. However, it might be recalled that the varsity VC, R Jagannathan, with saffron leanings, has been at loggerheads with the DMK Government.

While the state government had filed a case against him for misusing the varsity premises and infrastructure for a private firm in which he is involved, his tenure has been extended by Governor RN Ravi.