T P Sreenivasan (L) at the release of his book 'Education Of An Ambassador - Reflections On Higher Education Reforms in Kerala.' Thiruvananthapuram: Former diplomat and educationist T P Sreenivasan, who was slapped by Students Federation of India (SFI) activists at Kovalam couple of years ago, said he is offering his new book as the other cheek to be targetted. He made the remark at the release of his book 'Education Of An Ambassador – Reflections On Higher Education Reforms in Kerala.'
"I got my due at Kovalam for my efforts to reform the state's higher education according to changing times," he said, referring to the SFI assault at the tourist hub where he had arrived to attend a global education meet.
"I was hit on my right cheek. The Bible says "if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also". This book is my left cheek -- my experiences from studies done for reforms in the higher education sector," Sreenivasan noted.
"The cover picture of the book is related to that incident," he pointed out. The book's cover carries a picture of Sreenivasan addressing delegates from foreign countries who had arrived for the global meet.
Sreenivasan said the Higher Education Council presided over by him had submitted several proposals, but then chief minister Oommen Chandy could not implement many of them because he had to go by compromises of a coalition. Chandy, who spoke at the book release, also referred to the assault that the former ambassador had to face at Kovalam.
"Several proposals in the 16 reports that Sreenivasan submitted have relevance at all times," Chandy said. "Today or tomorrow we will have to implement recommendations like those on enforcing the semester system in full, making at least 10% of the colleges autonomous, opening private universities, establishing links with overseas colleges, and setting up a police university," the former Kerala chief minister said.
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