Tamil Nadu Government Orders Probe Into Fictitious Books Discovered at Coimbatore Library

Tamil Nadu State Minister for Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Rajmohan announced an immediate inquiry into alleged procurement irregularities at the newly opened Periyar Arivulagam library and science centre in Coimbatore. The probe follows a public critique by award-winning Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, who visited the facility and flagged serious errors in its book collection.

Findings and Irregularities

Among the disputed titles is a book titled Tamil Nadu Oru Paarvai, authored by Dhanalakshmi Arjun, which claims that an unknown personality named Muthuvelu Subbaiah Iyer was the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1947. Another book titled Bharathiyar Kathaikal lists Manisha Saravanan as its author and features a short story called Sathanaiyin Mugam, raising questions among literary experts about its origin. A 350-page volume priced at 1,445 rupees describes the ancient Tamil text Naladiyar as a poet and philosopher, even though Naladiyar is a collection of verses attributed to anonymous Jain monks. Mr. Perumal Murugan also pointed out a book on Keezhadi featuring internet-sourced photographs of a 50-year-old Nandi statue, despite no such statue being found at the actual archaeological site.

Official Response and Committee Concerns

Mr. Perumal Murugan published his observations in an online article titled Periyar Oozhal after examining books supplied by Agal Vilakku Pathipagam, which provided 1,800 titles. He noted a long list of author names appearing on these publications, including Trisha Vijay, Jothi Saravanan, Jothi Hariharan, and several others. While Mr. Perumal Murugan and fellow committee member Professor Dharmaraj Thamburaj served on panels to recommend genuine modern literature and folklore titles, both stated they were never informed whether their selected books were actually purchased. An unnamed IAS officer suggested the fake volumes might be artificial intelligence-generated and noted that the purchases could have occurred during the transition period between the election and the formation of the new government, adding that English book editions also require verification for piracy. Minister Rajmohan stated that anyone involved will face strict action, emphasizing that a scam in a library named after Periyar is unacceptable.

Context

Library procurement irregularities typically involve discrepancies between official book purchase lists and the actual volumes delivered to public shelves. Oversight committees often recommend quality titles, but administrative gaps during government transitions can sometimes create room for unverified suppliers to place material. Investigating such allegations involves checking publication records, author credentials, and supply chain accountability.