TIRUCHY: The BJP’s Pudukkottai district president, alleging religious bias in the collector's choice of book as a present to the chief minister during his visit a few days ago, has appealed to the CM for action against the bureaucrat.
CM MK Stalin had on June 8 visited Pudukkottai to inaugurate a host of government projects and distribute welfare measures. Welcoming him, District Collector Kavitha Ramu presented him with a copy of Nivedita Louis’ Ariyappadatha Christhavam.
The book and a Facebook post, now unavailable for public access, by the collector reasoning her choice appears to have made BJP district president PR Selvam Alaghhappan uneasy.
On Friday, Alaghhappan in a petition sent to the CM's office by postal service, said, “Presenting this book and writing about it on Facebook show that she [Collector Ramu] is according importance to Christianity. We demand action against the collector for indulging in such kind of religious bias…"
While it may be noted that Stalin has advised against visitors presenting him with items like shawls and bouquets, and to gift him books instead, Alaghhappan told TNIE, "Why did the collector choose a book on the history of the spread of Christianity in Tamil Nadu? Why not a book on Hinduism or Islam?"
Badri Seshadri of Kizhakku Pathippagam, who published the book, however, said, "This is not a book on religious propaganda. It is a research tome on Christianity. So the controversy over this is absolutely unnecessary."
Seshadri added that he knew of many events in the past where books on the Bhagavad Gita were presented to political leaders.
When reached out to, author Nivedita Louis said, "I travelled across the State for several months, visiting about 60 places for writing the book. The book maps the history of Christianity in the State. It also talks about what the religion contributed and got in return in a cultural aspect. It throws light on the problems within the religion, including casteism. There is a critical view of Christianity in the book. It is an anthropological and cultural study, not propaganda material."
"I think those opposed to the book have not read a single page of it yet," she added.
When contacted, Collector Ramu said, "The author is my friend. She put in a lot of efforts in the research. I know that she travelled about a year for the book. I chose it to honour her hard work. Also, the book traces the religious harmony and cultural confluences in Tamil land."