Former president of AUT passes away

He fought for better work conditions and pay for aided college teachers

N. Senthamarai, former president of Association of University Teachers, died on Thursday. He was 75.

Senthamarai was appointed as lecturer in Erode’s Chikkiah Naicker College’s Department of Commerce in 1973 and retired in 2006 as the head of the department. AUT members said he was instrumental in the college being declared a government institution.

He worked closely with all trade unions and was on the syndicate and senate of Bharathiar University. He had been elected a few times as Senate nominee for Vice-Chancellor search committee of the University.

Association members credit him with streamlining salary issues for teachers in self-financing and aided colleges. He was the founder member of Joint Action Council for Teachers and Employees’ Association which launched a major struggle in the State to secure better salary for teachers and employees of colleges and schools. He was also responsible for an amicable settlement of an issue pertaining to teachers in Madras Christian College in 1991 and later in PSG colleges in 2005.

“He was planning to organise celebration for the 75th year of the AUT. It was founded in 1946,” said N. Shethu, an AUT member and Professor of zoology in Pachaiyappa’s College.

Mr. Senthamarai had held various posts in the AUT, including that of president and general secretary. The Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers’ Association paid tribute to him, calling him Pithamagan of the teacher community. It was during his tenure that the AUT acquired a building for its office at Nungambakkam in Chennai.