Writers, poets, trade unionists and educationists brought together by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association on Wednesday condemned the Tamil Nadu government's decision to convert the Anna Centenary Library into a children's hospital.
They raised slogans and lit candles to express their protest against the government's decision. “The library is situated in the midst of educational institutions such as Anna University, IIT Chennai, Madras School of Economics and schools. It should not be shifted from there,” said Tamilselvan, president of the Association.
He said the Association would also seek regal remedies to ensure that the library was allowed to function in the existing place.
Writer A. Marx said Tamil Nadu was probably the only state in the country where the ruling party sought to undo whatever its predecessor had done without going into the merits of the projects.
The trait, he said, could be dated back to the days when saivites hated vaishnavite literature and vaishnavaite refused to accept the existence of saivite literature and both rejoiced in destroying Buddhist and Jain literature.
“The concept of library did not exist in Tamil Nadu because of this hatred. It was Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, the Christian Missionary who set up the first library,” he said.
