Chennai, July 28: The 33rd convocation ceremony of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, faced significant controversies on Tuesday, leading to a chaotic academic event.
Just before the ceremony commenced, protests erupted among students due to a decision by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to limit the number of students receiving degrees directly from him. Additionally, disputes arose regarding the order of songs to be performed during the event, prompting senior political leaders to boycott the ceremony.
Initially, the university announced that the Governor would personally confer degrees to 871 students. However, shortly before the event, a revised notification was issued, stating that only 113 gold medal winners would receive their degrees directly from the Governor, while the remaining students would receive their certificates through the standard procedure.
This unexpected change sparked anger among students and their families, many of whom had arrived at the university with hopes of receiving degrees directly from the Governor. Students expressed their disappointment, stating that the initial announcement had raised their expectations, only for them to face confusion and disillusionment due to last-minute alterations.
The ceremony, which started approximately 45 minutes late, was also overshadowed by a protocol-related dispute concerning the order of songs. According to the official program, “Vande Mataram” was to be performed first, while the state song “Tamil Thai Vaazhthu” was scheduled third. Higher Education Minister P. Vishwanathan strongly objected to this arrangement, asserting that placing “Tamil Thai Vaazhthu” after “Vande Mataram” was unacceptable.
In protest, the Minister boycotted the convocation. Supporting him, TVK MLA Murugan from Tirunelveli and MLA Rajendran from Kadayanallur also decided not to attend. This boycott added a political dimension to the university’s annual academic ceremony.
Despite the controversies, the convocation proceeded under the Governor’s presidency. During the event, the Governor conferred degrees to the 113 gold medal winners, while other students received their degrees as per the established process.
However, the changes in degree distribution and the disputes over the ceremony’s protocol overshadowed the event, detracting from the achievements of thousands of graduating students.
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