MAYILADUTHURAI: Sanatan Dharma is the 'soul of India' said Governor R N Ravi on Sunday, adding that it is 'all-inclusive' and embraces all creation as one family. He was speaking at the Mani Vizha celebrations of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, marking the 60th birth anniversary of its 27th pontiff, in Mayiladuthurai.
"Sanatan Dharma, which is the soul of Bharat, treats the whole of Bharat as one family. Even those who do not believe, those who term it dengue and malaria, we treat them as ours, because Sanatan cannot exclude anyone," Ravi said, referring to an earlier political comment made by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin which drew sharp criticism from across the nation. He further added that India's civilisational strength lies in its spiritual inclusivity, which institutions like the Dharmapuram Adheenam have preserved for centuries.
Ravi praised the Adheenam's role in sustaining Tamil heritage, spirituality and education, adding that it "served through the worst of times" Recalling the colonial period, he said the British sought to "destroy our culture, our identity, and our language", but institutions like the Adheenam "preserved and promoted Tamil".
He noted that British officials had dismissed Tamil as a "vernacular", a "dialect of the slaves". Referring to an episode involving British official J C Rollo Eso, who claimed Tamil was unfit for science or philosophy, he said Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi written a powerfully rebuttal in The Hindu, asserting Tamil's intellectual and scientific depth.
The governor also reflected on TN's Bhakti tradition, calling it "the sacred land from where the current of Bhakti flowed all over the entire Bharat". Emphasising Adheenam's contribution to public welfare, he said it runs more than 50 educational institutions and medical centres. Concluding his address, Ravi said the Adheenam continues to guide society spiritually while strengthening the nation's cultural fabric.
