Anbumani opposes Dindigul Leoni as head of textbooks corp, says it’s an insult

Former teacher Dindigul Leoni had compared women’s hips to “barrels” during an election campaign.
Collage of Anbumani Ramadoss and Dindigul Leoni
Collage of Anbumani Ramadoss and Dindigul Leoni
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TV anchor and former teacher Dindigul I Leoni has been made the head of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC). His appointment has triggered backlash, with several users questioning the ruling DMK government’s decision. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has demanded that the appointment be withdrawn and has said that Leoni’s appointment is an insult to the position. 

“Appointing Dindigul I. Leoni as the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is an insult to the position. Leoni is someone who has constantly made distasteful remarks about women,” Anbumani said in a tweet. “What will Leoni know about education, the one who talks about women’s bodies and their waist? The job of the textbook company is to produce textbooks that develop knowledge. What will be the fate of the students who read the textbooks produced under the leadership of Leoni?” he further asked.

Anbumani Ramadoss is referring to a sexist and crass comment that Leoni made during the election campaign. While campaigning for DMK candidate Karthikeya Sivasenapathy in Coimbatore during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Leoni had compared women’s hips to “barrels.” He said, “Women’s hips are like a ‘barrel’ since they are drinking milk from foreign cows.” 

Anbumani added, “From all the derogatory comments made by Leoni on women, no one will believe he is an able teacher. Hence the Tamil Nadu government should remove Leoni from such a significant position and appoint someone qualified.”

Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, for whom Leoni was campaigning, is the managing director of an NGO working to conserve native cattle breeds. Leoni made the distasteful comment in a pathetic attempt to highlight the need to drink the milk of native cattle breeds. In his speech, he said, “There are several types of cows and the milkman will get milk from the foreign cow using machines. The women and children have become ‘bloated’ after drinking that milk. Once women’s hips were in the shape of ‘eight’ and they were able to carry their children on the hip. Now, their hips have become like a barrel and they’re unable to lift the children.” 

Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation publishes books for Class 9 to 12 students, language textbooks, technical education textbooks, books for BEd training, among others. The department is also entrusted with a five-year project from 2017 to upload textbooks available from 1960-1970. They also bring out new editions of dated books and perform translation works.

 Meanwhile, after taking charge Leoni said that from now on textbooks published by the corporation would refer to the government as the Union government and not the Central government. 

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