RAMANATHAPURAM: Firmly rejecting allegations that national pride amounts to being anti-Tamil, Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said love for the nation and pride in Tamil language are inseparable. "If the nation is one eye, Tamil is the other; neither can be denied or diminished," he said at the valedictory of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0.
Radhakrishnan underscored the "inseparable spiritual, cultural and civilisational bond" between Kashi and Rameswaram, describing the Tamil sangamam a symbol of India's unity rooted in 'dharma' and diversity.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Radhakrishnan said the Kashi Tamil Sangamam represents the confluence of the ancient city of Kashi and one of the world's oldest living languages, Tamil. Hosting the valedictory event in Rameswaram, he said, is a moment of collective pride as it symbolically completed the civilisational journey from the north to south.
Highlighting India's pluralistic spiritual traditions, Radhakrishnan said Kashi resonates not only with Tamil devotional hymns such as 'Thevaram' and 'Thiruvasakam' but also with the verses of saints like Kabir. "This inclusiveness is what defines India," he said.
The Vice-President recalled that when the Kashi temple was destroyed, warriors from Tamil Nadu and the Pandyas went in large numbers to reclaim the sacred land. "Whenever dharma is threatened, Indians rise as one," he said. Quoting national poet Subramanya Bharati, he added, "Though we speak many languages, our thought is one -- to live by dharma."
Radhakrishnan also highlighted the role of Nattukottai Chettiars in preserving Tamil traditions in Kashi and noted that encroached land meant for Tamil pilgrims had been reclaimed within 48 hours.
Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Tamil Sangamam reflects India's timeless civilisational unity and strengthens cultural integration by reconnecting Tamil heritage with Kashi, inspiring the youth towards a developed India.
Governor RN Ravi, who spoke fully in Tamil, said the central theme of this year's event was learning and propagating Tamil, noting that hundreds of students from Kashi had travelled to Tamil Nadu to learn the language and culture.
Union minister L Murugan and BJP leader Nainar Nagendran also spoke.