The protesters demanded the immediate removal of disputed books from the library, action against the publishers linked to the titles and disciplinary action against officials allegedly responsible for the procurement.
More than 40 people participated in the protest, holding placards and raising slogans. The protest was organised by a coalition of groups including Dravida Tamizhar Katchi, Tamil Nadu Association of Arts and Literature (Tamilnadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram), Students Federation of India (SFI), DYFI, All India Lawyers Union (AILU) and literary, social justice and youth organisations. COIMBATORE: Progressive organisations and arts and literature bodies held a protest near the State Express Transport Corporation bus stand in Gandhipuram on Saturday, alleging large-scale irregularities in the procurement and stocking of books at the recently opened Periyar Arivulagam library here.
Referring to Phoenix Publications, he said the library had more than 300 books linked to the publisher, mostly English-language science titles, and sought expert scrutiny of the content. He claimed ISBN checks showed multiple books registered under the same name on March 30, March 31 and April 4, 2022, and flagged pricing concerns, citing a 204-page book priced at Rs 895.
Tamil research scholar S Sathishkumar said similar allegedly fake books had also surfaced at the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai. He demanded an investigation into possible plagiarism.