The Madras High Court today ordered issue of notice to the Higher Education Secretary and University of Madras on a PIL praying for removal of a Tamil short story and novel from the syllabus for first semester undegraduate students as it was allegedly against Paraiyar, a Scheduled Caste community.
When the PIL filed by a lecturer J Jai Samyak came up for hearing, the First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan, ordered issuing of notice returnable by September 19.
The University had recently introduced 'Foundation Course' for Tamil language Paper Part I for BA, B Com and BSc students for 2013-14. Five short stories of renowned Tamil writer Pudumai Pithan and a novel by Vananilavan were prescribed.
The petitioner alleged the short story gave an impression that Paraiyars were dishonest and ungrateful and further assassinated the character of Paraiyar women as they were drunkards and amenable to sexual favours.
Similarly, the novel also portrayed them as immoral and having extra marital affairs, he alleged.
If Dalit students read this, they would feel embarrassed and put to psychological humiliation, he contended.
He prayed for a direction to remove the short stories and the novel from the syllabus.
