The grand Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore, built in the style and dimensions of a mausoleum, was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on October 16, 2026. It was built at a cost of about Rs. 250 crore, with books – both digital and print – worth approximately Rs. 50 crore, either already procured or in the process of procurement.The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was, understandably, livid. After all, it was their idea to erect grand libraries in the names of famous Tamil icons and adorn them with books. Thus, M.K. Stalin, who promptly visited the library on November 5, claimed that 99.75% of the work had been completed during his tenure and that, but for his government’s efforts, Vijay would have abandoned the project.All hell broke loose on November 6. Perumal Murugan, the renowned Tamil writer, wrote an article in the digital magazine Sindhai, pointing out that about 1,800 books on the shelves had come from the same publisher, “Akal Vilakku” (meaning an oil or clay lamp), a name unheard of in literary circles. All books were hardbound and priced exorbitantly, with a 300-page book costing about Rs. 1,445.Moreover, they contained pure gibberish, obviously written by AI given free rein. For instance, one book solemnly stated that Tamil Nadu had, in 1947, a “prime” chief minister by the name of “Mutuvelu Subbiah Iyer” – a name so shockingly un-Brahminical that it might invite immediate excommunication from the community! Obviously, the name was fictitious, suggesting that AI does indeed have a keen sense of humour. This was reinforced by the name of another author: “Trisha Vijay!” For the uninitiated, the supposed close relationship between actor Trisha and CM Vijay is a staple of Tamil gossip magazines. Quoting several such books, with outlandish titles, authors’ names and impossible contents, Murugan argued that this was a clear case of massive corruption in the procurement of books and demanded severe action against those responsible.It occurred to every sensible person that, since Vijay’s government was barely six months old, corruption and ingenuity of this proportion could hardly have been its handiwork, given the rank amateurishness of its ministers – which, after all, had been the constant refrain of DMK critics. However, DMK supporters, especially some intellectuals and writers loyal to the party, launched a spirited campaign in its defence. One group argued that since the books had been received by the library, as indicated by the stamps on them, only on June 22 – more than a month after Vijay took over – the DMK could not be held responsible. Another writer plaintively pointed out that the ‘contaminated’ books occupied only a few shelves, while the others were full of genuine stuff. In other words, he wanted the DMK to be given credit for not stuffing the entire library with rubbish!The minister in charge of libraries, A. Rajmohan, at a series of press conferences and through official announcements, said the purchase order to Akal Vilakku Publishers had been issued on February 14 and that the payments had been released in March. The June seal, he clarified, merely indicated the date on which the books were officially received by the library and could not be construed as the date of the purchase order. He added that there had been several such bogus purchases from phantom publishers, involving books written by ghostly authors, and that the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had begun an investigation. The DMK, too, demanded a thorough investigation.What is the truth?Procurement of books for public libraries has been a perennial source of corruption for all political parties that have ruled the state over the years. Visit any library in Tamil Nadu, and chances are that more than 80% of the books on its shelves are rubbish, and sometimes very toxic rubbish. Fortunately, almost all of them remain unread. Had my dear friend Murugan not taken the trouble to visit the library and chanced upon these books, this scandal might not even have come to light.In fact, the Madras high court observed, in a case it heard in June 2024 relating to procurement of books, that “this is nothing short of a scam” and directed the government to put in place transparent procedures for the procurement of books. To be fair, the state government did announce a Transparent Book Procurement Policy in 2024 itself. I spoke to my publisher, Kannan, who runs one of the major Tamil publishing houses, Kalachuvadu, and he affirmed that the procedure was indeed transparent and that he had faced no hassles. I also spoke to Murugan, who too said that the procedure was fair and transparent. The News Minute quoted Vijay Shankar, former editor of Frontline and member of one of the committees recommending books, as saying that the procurement process involved several committees before approval was granted.How, then, did publishers like Akal Vilakku obtain such huge orders, the magnitude of which is still unclear, while bypassing standard procedures? Many people who served on these committees have come forward to state that they did not recommend any of these books. Who, then, recommended them? Incidentally, Rajmohan waved a paper at a press conference and said the procurement had been approved by J. Jeyaranjan, former vice-chairman of the state planning commission. I have not seen any denial from him.Also read: Why India Must Do More to Support Its Public LibrariesTherefore, based on what is available in the public domain, it appears that the entire scam was planned and executed during the DMK regime. It is possible that some of these entities were active even earlier. The present government almost certainly had no role in this. It may be that some payments were released after it took over, but that was what the government was legally required to do.It is certain that several publishing houses, officials and politicians were involved in this sordid affair. The whole thing looks confusing, but that is only natural, since the scandal came to light barely four days ago. A swift and thorough investigation will hopefully provide all the answers.What is to be done?In the United States and United Kingdom, public libraries rarely purchase books directly from publishers. They rely on library wholesalers and distributors, often called “book jobbers.” Of course, there are provisions for self-published and local authors to sell their books to local libraries, but bulk purchases are generally made through established distribution channels. These book jobbers are thorough professionals who engage professional librarians, subject-matter experts and experienced bibliographers to sift through books. India, too, has such wholesalers and distributors, and the state government must consider using their services.Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.As regards AI-generated books, there are tools to identify and filter them at the pre-procurement stage itself. If some do escape scrutiny, libraries also have weeding frameworks to identify and remove unsuitable material.Every modern tool brings its own problems, but solutions are usually found almost immediately. Our problem is that we go in search of these solutions rather leisurely, or only when a crisis arrives. In Tamil Nadu, it has arrived.P.A. Krishnan is an author in English and Tamil. With a postgraduate degree in physics from Presidency College, Madras and experience in academia, the civil service and scientific institutions, he writes frequently on science and public life.