An image of Thiruvalluvar on copies of the classic Tamil work Thirukkural used for a mass book reading session at a Coimbatore book festival triggered controversy after it was pointed out that the revered saint-poet was shown clad in saffron robes instead of the usual white. Last year, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore landed in controversy after a portrait of Thiruvalluvar clad in saffron was placed in its library. After it triggered a row with allegations of saffronisation, the authorities replaced the portrait with one in which the poet is seen in white attire. Close to 5,000 students from different schools were on Thursday invited to recite 20 couplets from the Thirukkural at the session organised by the district administration at the festival, which commenced on July 22 and will go on till July 31 at Codissia Trade Fair Complex. When the reporters asked district collector G S Sameeran about the image, he said he did not see the cover of the book, but the context inside it. “The book itself is a great treasure. I am seeing the context, not the cover,” he said. The book festival is being held in a grand manner post the Covid-19 pandemic with over 150 publishers taking part in it and close to two lakh books being exhibited. Several prominent writers, professors and other officials took part in the event.
