From fictitious Chief Minister to Naladiyar as ‘poet’: Tamil writer Perumal Murugan flags ‘literary scam’ in Periyar Arivulagam

The Hindu · B. Kolappan · 2026-11-06 07:53 UTC

Tamil writer Perumal Murugan flags alleged literary scam at Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore; Tamil Nadu government to order inquiry amid book irregularities.

Who was the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, then known as Premier of the Madras Province, in 1947, the year India attained Independence? According to a book titled Tamil Nadu Oru Paarvai, it was Muthuvelu Subbaiah Iyer, an unheard of personality.

The book, authored by Dhanalakshmi Arjun, is among the titles now on the shelves of Periyar Arivulagam, a dream project of the erstwhile DMK government, inaugurated recently in Coimbatore by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Award-winning Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, who visited the library and browsed through its collection, has flagged what he says are serious irregularities in the purchase of books.

Read the full story at The Hindu · All coverage of this story