Institutional trust
Student unrest is gathering strength across the globe — in India, France, Albania, Belgium, Serbia, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Beyond a revolt against governments, this is a generational test of whether institutions can still command trust. Where education fails to offer opportunity, politics appears unresponsive, and digital expression produces little tangible change, the streets become the staging ground. Courts must protect citizens’ right to assemble, protest and criticise, while ensuring that restrictions imposed in the interest of public safety are necessary and proportionate. Student unrest may be episodic in one country yet politically consequential in another. The common thread is the steady erosion of institutions swayed by political vagaries.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
A new chapter
We congratulate the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government and Dr. Pushpavanam Kuppusamy on his appointment as Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram (TEINM), an organisation functioning under the State government’s Department of Art and Culture.
His appointment is a welcome opportunity to revitalise the institution and strengthen its support for artists and Tamil culture, particularly folk and classical art forms. The new chairman is expected to reconstitute the Executive Committee and General Council, which will advise the government on matters such as the Kalaimamani Awards. It is hoped that Dr. Kuppusamy will consult eminent Sangeeta vidwans and folk artists, while ensuring that the film industry is treated as a distinct sector rather than grouped with classical and folk traditions. A renewed and inclusive approach could give fresh impetus to Tamil Nadu’s rich cultural landscape and offer a model for neighbouring States.
V.P. Dhananjayan,
Chennai
Published - October 21, 2026 12:24 am IST