CHENNAI: Clarifying his remarks on Mahatma Gandhi a few days ago, Governor RN Ravi on Saturday said he had only tried to highlight the significant contributions of Netaji Subash Chandrabose to the nation’s Independence and his remarks did not mean any disrespect to Gandhi.
The statement came even as a demonstration led by TNCC president KS Alagiri was underway in the city protesting his remarks. Congress cadre also protested across the state.
Ravi said, “Some media reports in the last 3-4 days have sought to create an erroneous impression that I have been disrespectful to Mahatma Gandhi - the Father of the Nation. Nothing could be farther from truth. I hold Mahatma Gandhi in the highest regard; his teachings have been the ideals of my life.”
The governor said following his speech at the 127th birth anniversary of Netaji on January 23, some media cherry-picked his speech and twisted it. Ravi said he had only sought to elaborate on the point that Netaji’s significant contributions to Independence has not been adequately appreciated.
“I tried to make a point that what accelerated the pace and process of Independence in 1947 were the revolts of the Royal Indian Navy and Air Force in February 1946 — both inspired by Netaji. Due to these revolts, the British panicked because they could no longer trust the Indians in uniform for their own safety and security in India,” Ravi said.
He also pointed out that the revolts happened in February 1946 and the very next month the British declared that they would leave India and constituted the Constituent Assembly to demonstrate their sincerity, assuage the feelings of agitated Indians, and pre-empt potential revolts which could have had existential consequences for the British officers and their families in India.
Ravi also recalled that the naval and air force revolts were greatly inspired by the revolutionary actions of Netaji, including the war of the Indian National Army. “The Quit India Movement of August 1942, after initial success, had lost steam. Internecine conflicts in the National Freedom Movement due to the Muslim League’s vehement insistence on partition and its reactions on the ground kept much of the efforts and energy of the Congress leaders on how to manage internal conflicts, much to the delight of the British,” he added.
