The crisis -torn Annamalai University has a long cherished history of being a pioneer in Tamil learning.
University founder Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar (pic)first started Meenakshi College in Chidambaram in 1920 with Tamil scholar, U Ve Saminatha Iyer, or ‘Tamil Thatha’, as the principal and subsequently started the varsity by contributing `20 lakh. “When the Indian Universities Act was enacted in 1904, Tamil was mentioned as vernacular language and so, no educational institution came forward to teach Tamil then as no provision was there in the Act to run separate department for vernacular language. In such a background, the university was established to teach Tamil by passing an Act during the Justice Party rule,” said a retired staff.
Annamalai Chettiar chose Chidambaram, which was educationally backward, with the sole aim of educating students in the backward area. “During that time, there was no college in between Chennai (Madras University) and Tiruchy (St Joseph’s College). Thus, the varsity came to play an immense role in shaping the political history of TN,” he said.
Both Annamalai Chettiar and his son, Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar, were interested in promoting Tamil music and research in Tamil. “At times when no Tamil song was sung in musical concerts, it was only the AU that conducted music concerts entirely with Tamil songs. It also has a Music College on its campus, which is still teaching Tamil music,” employees recalled.
AU is also famously called as ‘a cradle for political parties’ as leaders such as K Anbazhagan, V R Nedunchezhian, K Veeramani, Pazha. Nedumaran were its alumni.
