No invite: Anaicut MLA’s men hold up college convocation

The incident occurred when the chief guest Dr D Ashok Kumar, principal of the Gudiyattam Government Thirumagal Mills Arts College, was delivering the convocation address. 

Nearly 15 minutes after the chief guest started speaking, Nandakumar’s supporters created pandemonium in the hall shouting and demanding that the function be stopped as the MLA was not invited. Needless to say, the audience, including the new graduands, was taken by surprise. Principal R Sugirtharani Juliana intervened and tried to explain matters. But, the agitators refused to listen and continued to raise slogans against the college management. They allowed the convocation to resume only after Sugirtharani personally spoke to MLA Nandakumar over the phone and expressed regret for the omission. 

When asked about it, Nandakumar told DT Next, “The government college deliberately left out my name though protocol demands that it be included. They were against me because I pulled up the staff and professors for making students sit on the floor when they were being interviewed for admission to various courses sometime back.” Asked if he had provided money from his constituency development fund for the college, he said, “I have not given them any funds as they have not asked for it.” 

However, principal Sugirtharani said, “Protocol clearly states that MLAs need not be invited for convocations. They should be invited only for all other college functions.” College sources reiterating what the principal said, adding, “The MLA never turned up when invited to inaugurate an arch erected by the college alumni some time ago.” 

The convocation awarded 1,217 degrees, including 830 UG, 216 PG and 171 M Phil degrees. 

A similar incident was witnessed at the Tirupatthur Government Arts College where, according to Tirupatthur DMK MLA A Nallathambi, “Ruling party men led by KC Veeramani wanted the convocation on Friday to be postponed as the invitation did not have Veeramani’s name. We had to request collector SA Raman and registrar V Peruvazhuthi to continue as otherwise it would have led to a law and order issue as more than 1,600 students and parents had already gathered at the venue for the function.”