CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu on Friday witnessed a verbal duel between Governor RN Ravi and CM MK Stalin over what is perhaps a non-issue after those who sang the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu in the presence of the former at the Hindi Month celebrations skipped the line with the word "Dravida".
While Doordarshan after a while apologised for the "inadvertent" miss caused due to a distraction and there was no intention to disrespect, Stalin had quickly reacted by then, blaming the governor for disrespecting the sentiments of Tamil people.
Leaders from many political parties, including the AIADMK, also quickly condemned the governor. The valedictory of the Hindi Month celebrations itself began amid opposition from many parties. Those who sang Tamil Thaai Vazhthu skipped the line "Thekkanamum Adhil Sirantha Dravida Nal Thirunaadum"
Quickly reacting to the development, the CM, in a post on his X handle, asked: "Are you a governor? Or a person advocating Aryan ideology?".
He said that reciting Tamil Thai Vaazhthu by skipping the word "Dravidam" was violative of the law. "A governor who does not act according to the law but as per his wish is unfit to be governor," Stalin said. He blamed the governor for belittling the nation's integrity under the pretext of celebrating Hindi.
"Will the governor who is allergic to Dravidam advise to skip the same word from the National Anthem as well," Stalin asked. Alleging that the governor was consistently and deliberately insulting Tamil Nadu, Stalin urged the union government to recall him.
Strongly objecting to the remarks, Ravi said Stalin has made "racist and cheap" remarks that "lowered the dignity of the high constitutional office of the CM". "Since the CM rushed to the public with his racist remarks and false imputations I am constrained to respond," the governor said in a statement. Pointing out that the CM had alleged that he had shown disrespect, the governor said, "He knows it well that I recite full Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu at every function and do so with reverence, pride and precision."
The governor pointed out that he has taken numerous substantive initiatives to spread Tamil in other states, of which the latest is to set up a Tamil diploma course in Gauhati University. Ravi said Stalin knew that the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done a lot for the spread of the Tamil language.
Earlier, speaking at the function, Ravi said the people of Tamil Nadu are eager to learn Hindi. He said "There has been a consistent effort to isolate Tamil Nadu from the rest of the country. Talking against Hindi is an excuse (for that). For around 50 years, poison has been filled into the minds of people to disconnect them from the rest of the country. It is a separatist agenda," he alleged.
Responding to the governor's remarks, the CM posted a lengthy reply on X raising many questions. Stalin asked why the governor, who boasts himself of knowing Thamil Thaai Vaazthu fully, failed to rebuke those who skipped the line at the dais itself. Had he done that, there would not have been a reaction.
On the governor's charge that the CM had made racist remarks against him, Stalin said, "We are from the Tamil race and it is our lifeline. Tamils have sacrificed their lives to safeguard their language. They were instrumental in the first amendment to the Constitution. The state bears a history of anti-Hindi agitation. If you describe our attachment to our mother tongue as racism, we take it as our pride!."
Stalin also pointed out that the centre has allocated a whopping Rs 2,435 crore for the growth of Sanskrit between 2013-14 and 2022-23 but allocated a paltry sum of Rs 167 crore for the Tamil language. Stalin also recalled the governor's past denouncements of Dravidian ideology and his criticism about the name Tamil Nadu given to the State.
"Since your history is like this who will believe that the words Dravida Nal Thirunaadu" were skipped inadvertently?, he asked.
Reiterating that the Modi government has made imposition of Hindi as its routine, Stalin said, that if the governor intends to continue in the gubernatorial post, he should free himself from divisive forces and discharge his duties following the Constitution.
