CHENNAI: Taking strong exception to Governor RN Ravi’s speech on Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar), Minister for Finance and Human Resources Thangam Thennarasu said Ravi is trying to distort facts.
Participating in the 200th Jayanthi celebrations of Vallalar at Vadalur in Cuddalore district on Wednesday, Ravi said that Vallalar was one of the brightest sons of Sanatana Dharma.
In a tweet on Thursday, Thennarasu said, “The governor has made a statement about Vallalar without understanding the basic difference between Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Neri and Sanatana Dharma. He has attempted to distort the principles espoused by Vallalar and bring them under the ambit of Sanatana Dharma.”
Tamil culture and values have the capacity to function on their own and this has been proved by cultural traces of Tamil community which lasted for thousands of years. Thennarasu also said the governor’s views should be rejected in total.
HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu told reporters in Vellore, “Vallalar has advocated spiritual philosophy encompassing all living beings on earth and this can be understood well with his spiritual verses. But, the governor has tried to drag Vallalar into the confines of Sanatana Dharma. This only shows the governor is ignorant (of the philosophy espoused by Vallalar).”
Madurai MP Su Venkatesan (CPM) said in a tweet that Vallalar stood against ‘Varnasrama Dharma’ and spoke against it to his teachers. But, the governor has described Vallalar as the supreme star of Sanatana Dharma. “Saint poets Tiruvalluvar and Vallalar are two revolutionary voices you cannot swallow,” Venkatesan said, adding that these two had chased away Sanatana Dharma.
Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani said the governor is trying to distort the teachings of Vallalar and trying to convert a ‘white-dress-clad Vallalar’ into a ‘saffron-dress-clad sanatani’ and everyone should condemn this. Veeramani also quoted extensively from verses of Vallalar to show that the saint-poet was totally against Sanatana Dharma and religions.