Don’t carry photos of CM and public officers on kids’ items: Madras HC to TN government

“It is abhorring that school books or school bags meant for school-going children, who do not have a right to vote, would carry photographs of public functionaries even if the functionary is the chief minister of the state,” the court said. “The state should ensure that such practice is not continued in future.”

The Madras high court on Tuesday directed the state to discontinue the practice of carrying photographs of chief ministers and other public functionaries on school bags, textbooks and stationery used by children.

Advocate general R Shunmugasundaram, appearing for the state, informed the court that chief minister MK Stalin has decided not to publish his photos in such materials. (PTI)

“It is abhorring that school books or school bags meant for school-going children, who do not have a right to vote, would carry photographs of public functionaries even if the functionary is the chief minister of the state,” the court said. “The state should ensure that such practice is not continued in future.”

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu passed the orders in a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought these directions so that public funds are not wasted on carrying the names and photographs of previous chief ministers on textbooks, school bags and stationery.

“However, photographs of the chief minister may be carried, but that should be restricted to advertisements in newspapers or some hoardings and certainly not used on textbooks or exercise books or any educational material at all,” the court said in its orders.

Given such a decision from the DMK government, the court said that no further order need be made except directing the state that extreme care and caution should be taken to ensure that public funds are not expended for publicity purposes of political leaders. With these observations, the court disposed of the petitions.

This is however a new turn in political culture in the state. Last month, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told the assembly that Stalin’s decision to retain photos of former chief ministers late J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi Palaniswami on 6.5 million school bags and 1 million stationery items has saved ₹13 crore for the state exchequer.

Tamil Nadu’s past chief ministers who made the transition from the world of films to politics enjoyed sycophancy and it was a common practice for their images to be erected as hoardings and banners. Both DMK and AIADMK have also introduced free and heavily subsidised schemes and offered free materials to the electorate such as colour TV, grinder, fans, cycles and bags for school students that often bear the names and photos of whichever party is in power. Once a government was in transition following elections, it was also common for the previous regimes’ schemes and materials to be discontinued and replaced.