Thirteen days after his Thamizhagam remark triggered a political outrage, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, on Wednesday, came out with a clarification saying he referred to the name only in the “historical, cultural context.”
In a strongly worded statement, the governor, who came under attack from all the political parties in the state, clarified saying it was “erroneous and far-fetched,” to interpret his remark as a suggestion to change the name of the state. “Without understanding the basis of my speech, arguments that the governor is against the word ‘Tamil Nadu’ have become a topic of discussion. Hence, I am giving this clarification to put an end to it,” the statement said.
“In an event at Raj Bhavan on January 4, 2023, to felicitate the volunteers of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, a recently concluded month-long festival celebrating the age-old cultural connect of Tamil people with Kashi, while dwelling upon the historical cultural connect between the two, I referred to the word Tamizhagam. In those days, there was no Tamil Nadu. Hence in a historical cultural context, I referred to the word Tamizhagam as a more appropriate expression.”
However, the governor, during the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam event, had said Thamizhagam is a more appropriate word than Tamil Nadu. This statement of Ravi triggered a political outrage, with the ruling DMK and its allies lashing out at the governor. The principal opposition party, the AIADMK, and even the BJP had reacted to it. The struggles that went to renaming Madras as Tamil Nadu and the quotes of the then chief minister C.N. Annadurai were recalled by political parties while criticising Ravi.
Ravi was summoned to Delhi two days after he left the assembly in a hurry on January 9 after the event. Sources said the BJP high command understood that Ravi’s comments against the Dravidian ideology and his fondness for Sanstana Dharma are making the saffron party more unpopular, in a state where the party is trying hard to build a base. In fact, in a statement recently, DMK parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu asked why Ravi should act or react when the BJP in Tamil Nadu has a leader in K. Annamalai.
The BJP has been constantly avoiding raking up issues that go against the Dravidian ideologies that are deeply entrenched in Tamil Nadu. In fact, it has stopped taking up all sensitive issues. Annamalai has been calling himself a “Dravidian” and had clarified that the BJP in the state will not impose Hindi and is in favour of a two-language policy even though this might go against the Centre's wishes.
Meanwhile, the governor’s clarification that his statement was “understood wrongly” has not gone down well with the political parties.
“He has given a clarification for whatever he has spoken. But this is unacceptable. The governor used the word Thamizhagam not just when he was talking with the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam pilgrims. It was used when he sent out the invite for the Pongal festival. The invitation did not have the Tamil Nadu emblem and also referred to him as 'Thamizhaga aalunar' meaning governor of Thamizhagam. This would not have been done by mistake,” said Madurai MP Su Venkatesan.
Ravi has been taking a confrontational approach ever since he assumed office in October 2021. Soon after Ravi took charge, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu sent a circular to department secretaries saying, “The governor wishes to know about departments and their ongoing welfare schemes.” The circular triggered a political debate in the state with all alliance parties of the DMK, including the Congress, Left parties, and Thol Thirumavalavan’s Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi terming it as governor’s interference in administration. At least 21 bills, including the controversial NEET bill, are pending his approval.