CHENNAI: Hailing Sri Ram as the ‘common thread that unites Bharat’, Governor RN Ravi said on Friday that Sri Ram has a deep connection with Tamil Nadu. His story has inspired and enriched Tamil literature since the Sangam period, is the soul of Carnatic music and has enriched classical dance forms, Ravi said.
“The most ardent devotees of Sri Ram are from Tamil Nadu, and the great poet Kambar wrote the Ramavataram in Tamil, much before Sri Ram’s story was told in other Bharatiya languages, after the first one in Sanskrit,” Ravi said in his Republic Day message.
The governor also recalled his visit to Therazhundur, stating that at the Kambar Medu, the birthsite of Kambar, he could feel an unseen yet palpable presence.
“The Pran Prathishta of Sri Ram at the magnificent temple at Ayodhya has enthused the entire nation, filled it with self-confidence and infused new energy. Sri Ram has been our national icon and inspiration. He is the common thread that unites Bharat and resides in the heart of every Bharatiya. He is an inspiration and his rule — Ram Rajya — is an ultimate example of good governance, the ideals of which are enshrined in our Constitution.”
Stating that businesses from across the globe are looking at India as a preferred investment destination and crucial link in the global supply chain, the governor said, “The global and regional geo-political environment is immensely favourable to Bharat. This is a historic opportunity for us. Our state must take full advantage of it. Each one of us must be conscious of this historic opportunity and do our utmost for the nation. We should do it, with pride in our rich Tamil heritage and confidence in our future.”
“Media reports of social discrimination and the resultant violence are extremely painful. Reports about some of our youth wearing caste-based wristbands in public are soul-tormenting and shameful. Such practices and behaviour are extremely regressive, and I appeal to all my brothers and sisters of Tamil Nadu to consciously work and eradicate such practices at the earliest.”
Ravi said Tamil Nadu, with excellent human resources, good infrastructure and good industrial base, has the potential to be an engine of the country’s growth. “It is necessary to motivate our youth towards entrepreneurship.”