Chennai: Continuing his ideological fight with the Dravidian discourse, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi fueled yet another controversy, claiming that Sanatana Dharma, with which Bharat was built, had its origins in 'Thamizhagam'. Consciously avoiding 'Tamil Nadu', the official name of the state, he used only 'Bharat' for India at the Thyagaraja Aradhana, a festival of Carnatic music, at Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district.
Speaking at the 176th Thyagaraja Aradhana, held annually in honour of Telugu saint-composer Thyagaraja, considered the foremost among the Carnatic trinity, he said “Sanatana dharma started from the south, in this very land Thamizhagam, and spread over the whole country. The whole country was united as one family, one kudumbam (family in Tamil). And this is Bharat.”
Bharat, according to him, was not built by any ruler, but by great rishis and divine poets with Sanatana dharma as its base and Sanatana culture does not exclude anyone or anything. Then he reiterated his charge that it was colonialism that had wiped out the glorious past of the country.
Stating that saint Thyagaraja was a devotee of lord Ram, the governor said “Sri Rama is the cultural icon of the whole Bharat. From one to the other, north or south, east or west, Lord Rama is in the heart of every Bharatiya.” Earlier, a day after the face-off in the assembly, Ravi, interacting with candidates appearing for the UPSC civil services interview, advised them to learn Hindi and take the side of the Union government if questions were asked about center-state disputes.
Acknowledging that Tamil Nadu follows the two-language formula of English and Tamil, he said it was advantageous to learn Hindi as a third language. Also, the Raj Bhavan's Pongal invite without the state emblem and his designation as 'Thamizhaga Alunar' (Alunar – Governor) instead of Tamil Nadu Governor, fueled the controversy further.
Also read: Guv Ravi skips 'Tamil Nadu' in Assembly address, walks out after CM Stalin questions speech
While protests continue against Ravi in Chennai and elsewhere in the state, in the assembly, Speaker M Appavu heaped praise on Chief Minister MK Stalin for protecting the dignity of the House and the state by moving the resolution censuring the governor for deviating from the text tabled in the House.
Warning the MLAs who trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans when the Governor commenced his address, which was a blemish, he said this should not recur any further. Initially, slogan shouting by the legislators of the DMK's alliance partners, including the Congress, VCK and the Left, was to protest the governor's remark that 'Thamizhagam' was more appropriate than 'Tamil Nadu'.
Matters came to head only after the walkout by the DMK's allies. Ravi omitting certain portions and speaking extempore, resulted in Stalin moving a resolution censuring the governor and he walking out in a huff. With the DMK turning soberer, party MLA, Cumbam N Eramakrishnan, moved the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, which also expressed 'agony' over the deviation by Ravi.
“...this House records its agony for the act of the Governor omitting and including certain portions in his Address which was sent by the Tamil Nadu Government, approved by the Governor and circulated in the Assembly,” it read. It remains to be seen whether the dust will settle down sooner than later or will it result in the Chief Minister and his cabinet boycotting the governor's 'at home' on Republic Day as was the case last time.
