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TN Governor RN Ravi Pulls Up State Univs For Skewed History Syllabus, Says Tamil Contribution To Indian National Movement Overshadowed With Dravidian Movement Stories 

The Commune

“Filled With Stories Of Dravidian Movement, Tamil Contribution To Indian National Movement Eclipsed Governor RN Ravi Pulls Up State Universities For Skewed Syllabus Over Dravidian Movement Eclipsing On Other Historical Events

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, the chancellor of state universities, had recently inaugurated a two-day conference for vice-chancellors of both state-run and private universities at the Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam on 27 May 2024. Vice-chancellors from state, private, and central universities or institutions across the state participated in this annual conference.

According to the release from Raj Bhavan, the conference aims to elevate the standards of higher education in the state, covering topics such as research excellence, institutional development, entrepreneurship promotion, faculty capacity building, and the promotion of universal human values.

The conference features four sessions each day, during which vice-chancellors of state universities will present best practices implemented at their institutions. Additionally, students and scholars who have passed the NET or UGC-CSIR tests and obtained Junior Research Fellowships will share their experiences.

In his address the following day, Governor RN Ravi expressed concerns regarding the state universities’ curriculum, which he criticized for focusing solely on the Dravidian Movement while omitting the national freedom movement. He highlighted that the British rule’s impact on Tamil Nadu’s social, economic, and political fabric is completely absent from the curriculum.

Governor RN Ravi said, “There are unacceptable distortions in the history and political science syllabi of state universities. While the Dravidian Movement is an important part of history, it should not overshadow other historical events. In the 19th century, many Tamil people were forcibly taken by the British to work in colonies in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Fiji. Ignoring the sacrifices of millions of Tamils in the fight for India’s freedom is an insult. This omission weakens the sense of nationalism among our youth and fosters a disconnect from the national mainstream,” urging for a periodic review of the curriculum.

Ravi also criticized the practice of involving university students in government publicity programs. “Students should be encouraged to participate in social outreach by teaching in schools, not by promoting government programs. Are our students supplementing the state’s district administration and DIPR in publicity outreach? This is not an appropriate role for university students,” he remarked. He also called for universities to reconsider the use of RUSA funds for donations to schools, emphasizing that these funds are meant for higher education, not for providing furniture to schools. Lastly, the Governor pointed out that a 50% vacancy rate in universities is compromising the quality of education.

Governor Ravi expressed concerns that even PhD scholars, who are bright students, are either without any fellowship or get a meager amount of about 75000 per month. He said that due to lack of proper guidance and motivation, they are not able to obtain the UGC run NET-JRF fellowship, which is almost double the salary of our guest lecturers. He urged the Vice Chancellors of the state universities to take serious note of this issue and collaborate with private universities. The Governor highlighted how the severe shortage of teaching faculty in our universities, almost 40-50% shortage has heavily compromised the future of our students.

Deliberating over the curriculum, the Governor flagged unacceptable distortions in History and Political Science syllabuses of B.A and M.A. courses of the state universities. He pointed out that there is a total blackout of the National Freedom Movement in the syllabus. He elaborated how several thousand freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our Nation while several thousand youths from Tamil Nadu joined the Indian National Army of Netaji and fought the British, and many gave their lives.

“The massacre of freedom fighters at Devakottai and Perungamanallur can’t be forgotten. Poligars resistance and popular uprisings at Palayamkottai, in which several thousand Tamils were killed by the British, and just a few to quote, Mahatma Gandhi visited the state more than 16 times. The Swadeshi Movement and Salt Satyagraha had a huge response in Tamil Nadu, and the people of Tamil Nadu played a leading role.“ the Raj Bhavan press release stated.

“When the British partitioned Bengal communally, there was a huge uprising in Tamil Nadu, which motivated the great freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai to join the National Freedom Movement. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Punjab outraged the people of Tamil Nadu and prompted young Kamaraj to abandon his studies and jump into the National Freedom Movement. Tamil Nadu played a crucial role in the framing of the Constitution of Free India. There are just a few illustrations. The impact of British rule on the social, economic and political fabric of Tamil Nadu is totally blacked out from the curriculum. Instead, the curriculum is filled with the stories of Dravidian movement. With respect to social and political awakening, all the movements, to name a few, the Ayyavazhi movement of Ayya Vaikundar, the Sanmarga movement of Vallalar, and the Nandanar movement led by Dalit leader Swami Sahajananda are missed altogether,” it further added.

“In the 19th century, several hundred thousand Tamil people were forcibly taken by the British as indentured labours to their colonies in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Fiji, where they were auctioned like slaves to the British landlords. They were treated like animals. Those who resisted were imprisoned, tortured, and even killed. Erasing the sufferings and sacrifices of the millions of Tamil people for the freedom of India and the suffering of countless people at the hands of the British is an insult to our countless martyrs and a denial of the true history and sacrifices of our forefathers. It also weakens the sense of nationalism among our youth and fosters an eco-system that emotionally disconnects our youth from the national mainstream.” it further added.

The Governor emphasized the significance of emerging technologies like Generative Al, Quantum Computing, Advanced Robotics, Ultra Nanotechnology, and Synthetic Biology, highlighting their profound impact on the world and the world order. He stressed the importance of investing in our youth to invest in these technologies so that they are equipped to harness the true potential of these transformative technologies. Earlier, Prof. H.D. Charan, Chairman of the National Committee on Universal Human Values at AICTE, gave a detailed presentation on Universal Human Values, emphasizing their role in Human Education and how institutions can develop into living models of a humane society. He highlighted how these institutions can serve as resource centers for their communities, and how personal and societal transformation can occur in a natural and evolutionary manner Dr. Jayanti Ravi, Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, engaged in insightful discussions with Vice Chancellors about the exciting Opportunities for students across various colleges and universities, aligning with the National Education Policy-2020.

(With Inputs From DT Next)

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