Keep name of Indian Studies Dept, UM told

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KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC wants Universiti Malaya to maintain the name of its Indian Studies Department.

Its president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, urged UM vice-chancellor Datuk Ghauth Jasmon to reconsider his decision to rename the department the Indian and South Asian Studies department.

"He has to listen to the views of the Indian community. Tamil is our life," he said when asked to comment on Ghauth's statement on the move to rename the ISD.

Ghauth had reportedly said that although the name of the department would be changed, its programmes would be maintained.

"We will not accept any changes to the Indian Studies Department because it was the Indians who contributed to the department's existence and it is also our pride," Samy Vellu said.

He said he was informed by Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam that the cabinet has agreed to maintain the name of the ISD after Subramaniam (who was also MIC secretary-general) had raised the matter at a recent Cabinet meeting.

"It has been agreed by the Cabinet. So, there must not be any change in the name," Samy Vellu said.

He added that the ISD was created from money collected from Indian estate workers in the early 1950s under the "Save Tamil Fund".

Samy Vellu said if the reason for the change in name was due to the infighting among the ISD academia, the university should deal with them and not resort to changing the name of the department.

"The department has many historical values for the Indian community. Changing its name would mean showing disrespect to the Indian community," he added.