It is profoundly disheartening to witness the growing parochialism today in Tamil Nadu, which championed global unity with the timeless adage ‘Yadhum Oore Yavarum Kelir’ millennia ago.
The transformation of a once-welcoming Tamil Nadu into one that denounces newcomers as “northerners”, or “outsiders”, considering them often as inferior beings is a sad outcome of self-serving politics.It has become a political strategy, purely meant for electoral advantage, to portray those speaking for nationalism, unity and inclusion of other languages in education as being anti-Tamil. Certain groups deliberately ignite discord by encouraging the notion that “national unity is not for Tamil Nadu” and “supporting other languages with an open mind is detrimental to Tamil”.
It has become imperative at this juncture to revive the ancient Tamil ethos of national unity and camaraderie that resonated a millennia ago; the ethos that embodies unity in diversity and rejects imaginary divisions like “north” vs “south” or “my state” vs “other states”; the ethos that declares with an open mind, “I will praise my language, and simultaneously, respect other languages”. There is no one better placed than Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the retelling of this ethos. His visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram on Sunday, as part of the festival to commemorate 1,000 years of Rajendra Chola’s maritime expedition to South East Asia and the commencement of the construction of the eponymous temple there, will rekindle that sublime, ancient Tamil character of unity and camaraderie.
It is not a mere coincidence but a profound connection that PM Modi, who is also the MP of Varanasi, a city embraced by Ganga and holds a special place in India’s civilisational pride, is visiting the historic Chola capital along the Cauvery. I have no doubt that the PM considers this a pilgrimage to the very foundations of our civilisational pride. Rajendra was not just a formidable emperor, but an ambassador of civilisation. His conquests, which stretched from the banks of the Cauvery to the Ganga and even into Southeast Asia, were not just military victories.
They were triumphs of spirituality, culture, and economy. His founding of Gangaikonda Cholapuram as the new capital of Chola dynasty by bringing the sacred waters of the Ganga to Tamil land is a powerful symbol of North-South integration. He poured this holy water into a special well, naming it ‘Jala Stambham’. The parallel between the legendary Rajendra and our PM becomes inevitably evident as I absorbed this history. PM Modi, while serving as chief minister of Gujarat, accorded great importance to waterbodies and called them ‘Jal Mandir’ (temples of water). One cannot but wonder with joy at the striking resemblance between ‘Jala Stambham’ and ‘Jal Mandirs’.
Just as Rajendra did, the PM has embarked spiritual, cultural, and administrative journeys spanning India’s vast expanse. Through these journeys, he is systematically dismantling the colonial mindset while fostering pride and confidence in our past, thereby restoring India’s timeless civilisational ethos. He does this by renaming colonial-era roads, vigorously promoting indigenous languages, overseeing the construction of the Ram Temple, and celebrating Tamil as the oldest classical language globally. As Rajendra carried Tamil and Indian culture to the world, the PM is presenting Bharat’s spiritual might in the global arena.
The global recognition of International Yoga Day and the highest civilian awards PM has received from nations like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Namibia stand testimony to the immense recognition and respect he has garnered on behalf of India. His visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram further signifies this grand civilisational resurgence. The link between Ganga and Cauvery is a profound connection from the times of the great Chola Empire to the PM of the people’s empire of India.It is a connection that reawakens this soul of this great nation, bound by a unifying heart. What more can one say but a heartfelt thanks to our PM for restoring this magnificent connection and for his unwavering commitment to this unbreakable unity.
Spiritual triumph
Rajendra was not just a formidable emperor, but an ambassador of civilisation. His conquests, which stretched from the banks of the Cauvery to the Ganga and even into Southeast Asia, were triumphs of spirituality, culture, and economy
(The writer is former Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry)