TIRUNELVELI: The students in Tamil Nadu are unfortunately not free to choose the language they wish to study, and are compelled not to study other Indian languages, said Governor R N Ravi in Tirunelveli on Friday. Addressing devotees at the Ayya Vaikundar’s 193rd Avathara Thiruvizha, the governor asserted no one is imposing any language on anyone, and alleged certain anti-Sanatana forces were trying to create divisions in terms of language and race, similar to what the British had done.
Terming the language war a lie, Ravi said, “These (anti-Sanatana) evil forces are trying to create problems within the country and society by spreading hate and lies in all forms. They claim that some languages is being imposed on others. This is false. When Bharat is striving to bring peace in the world, some people here are attempting to unleash a language war.”
He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been promoting Tamil pride and culture across the world.
Ravi added people cannot talk about social justice if they do not follow Ayya Vaikundar and learn his teachings.
Earlier, in his post on X, Ravi alleged that despite a huge potential for industrialisation in southern TN, people here feel neglected in terms of opportunities. “I interacted with a large number of leaders in south TN and also students. This region is rich in human and natural resources, and yet it feels like a neglected backyard.
Problems of substance/drug abuse among youth are serious. The youth of this region feel deprived of opportunities compared to those from neighbouring states due to the two-language policy of the state. They feel that unfortunately, in the name of opposition to Hindi, they are not allowed to study even any other south Indian language,” he claimed.