Politics involves a lot of social engineering. But in Tamil Nadu politicians have been ‘engineering’ a magic of a different sort that has ensured that irrespective of whether they are in power or not, money simply flows from a Kamadenu called engineering college.
Politicians cutting across party lines have been establishing engineering colleges in the State since 1984 when the then Chief Minister M G Ramachandran opened the floodgates for private institutions.
Interestingly, in this Lok Sabha election, nearly a dozen candidates in the fray own engineering colleges and deemed universities.
Technically, most of these institutions are registered in the name of charitable trusts administered by the family members of the politicians.
In fact, the Sriperumbudur constituency will witness a clash between two owners of engineering colleges.
While the AIADMK has fielded a soft-spoken K N Ramachandran, who is the chairman of the Sakthi Mariamman Engineering College, the DMK has fielded former Union Minister Jagathrakshagan, whose family owns the Bharat University in Chennai and a host of other institutions in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and elsewhere.
The New Justice Party’s wealthy candidate in Vellore A C Shanmugam, who is backed by the BJP, is the founder of the Dr MGR University in Chennai. Former Union Minister Su Thirunavukkarasar, who has hopped from the BJP to the Congress to try his luck from Ramanathapuram, also owns an engineering college.
So does, the DMK candidate in Pollachi Pongalur Palanisamy, whose family manages the Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology in Coimbatore.
The DMK has also given tickets to others such as T R Baalu and S Mohammed Jaleel whose family members have stakes in engineering colleges.
Family members of the former AIADMK Minister M Thambidurai, who is trying his luck yet again from Karur constituency, also administer a host of educational institutions including a deemed university in Chennai and an engineering college in Dharmapuri.
The Congress candidate in Tuticorin APCV Shanmugam is the secretary of the VOC College of Education.
Unlike most candidates, who had started engineering colleges after serving as a MLA or MP for at least one term, two high profile candidates in the fray have entered politics in the reverse direction.
L K Sudhish, the brother-in-law of DMDK founder and actor Vijayakant, who is trying his luck from Salem has stakes in the Andal Alagar Engineering College, which was established by the actor long before he entered politics.
Likewise, Indiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) founder T R Pachamuthu, who has entered the fray in Perambalur as part of the BJP-led alliance, is the chancellor of the SRM University, which he set up many years ago when he had no connection with politics.
It is rumoured that he floated the party five years ago following an alleged bid by a high profile politician to take over his educational institutions.
Well, at this rate in due course, Tamil Nadu politics will be interwoven with higher education sector as it is with cinema now.
