Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi with Chief Minister MK Stalin. (PTI file photo)
Stalin alleged that the word “Dravidian” was removed from the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, the state anthem, during a programme where Governor RN Ravi was the chief guest
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday alleged that the word “Dravidian” was removed from the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, the state anthem, during a programme where Governor RN Ravi was the chief guest.
The Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, often played at the start of government programmes in the state, became the centre of controversy after it was performed at the Hindi Month valedictory function at the Doordarshan office in Chennai today, where Ravi was present.
Stalin made the allegations in a social media post on X, sharing a clip of the event that also featured Ravi. “Removing the word Dravidian and chanting Tamil Thai greetings is against the law of Tamil Nadu!” he alleged.
ஆளுநரா? ஆரியநரா?திராவிடம் என்ற சொல்லை நீக்கி, தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்தைப் பாடுவது தமிழ்நாட்டின் சட்டத்தை மீறுவதாகும்!
சட்டப்படி நடக்காமல், இஷ்டப்படி நடப்பவர் அந்தப் பதவி வகிக்கவே தகுதியற்றவர்.
இந்தியைக் கொண்டாடும் போர்வையில் நாட்டின் ஒருமைப்பாட்டையும் இந்த மண்ணில் வாழும் பல்வேறு… pic.twitter.com/NzS2O7xDTz
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 18, 2024
Stalin’s allegations and demands for Ravi’s resignation
The DMK chief also demanded Ravi’s resignation, saying, “A person who does not act according to the law and follows their own will is not fit to hold that office.”
“Will the governor who suffers from Dravidian allergy ask them to leave out Dravidian in the national anthem? The Union Government should immediately recall the Governor who is deliberately insulting Tamil Nadu and the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu!,” Stalin asserted in his post.
Speaking to CNN-News18, DMK leader TKS Elangovan also alleged that the removal of the word “Dravidian” was done intentionally under the instructions of Governor Ravi. “The governor is insulting the state. He is purposely doing this to demean the people of Tamil Nadu… This goes against the constitutional provisions and the law,” he claimed.
RN Ravi denies role, calls Stalin a ‘racist’
Meanwhile, shortly after Stalin’s allegations, Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan issued a statement dismissing his claims and clarified that neither the Governor nor his office played any role in the matter.
“At the beginning of the programme, the troupe who recites the Thamizhthaai Vaazhthu has inadvertently missed a line which consists of the word “Dravida”. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of organizers and appropriate authorities were asked to look into the matter. The Governor or His Office has no role in this except that he participated in the Programme,” the statement from Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan read.
In another post on X, RN Ravi also issued a statement through Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan handle, stating that Stalin made a “racist comment” against him and falsely accused him of disrespecting Tamil Thai greetings.
“மாண்புமிகு முதல்வர் திரு. @mkstalin அவர்கள் இன்று மாலையில் வெளியிட்ட வருத்தமளிக்கக் கூடிய பதிவு ஒன்றில், எனக்கு எதிராக இனவாத கருத்தைத் தெரிவித்து, தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்துக்கு நான் அவமரியாதை இழைத்ததாக பொய்யான குற்றச்சாட்டை முன்வைத்துள்ளார். ஒவ்வொரு விழாவிலும் நான் தமிழ்த் தாய்…— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) October 18, 2024
“For a Chief Minister to make racist comments against a Governor with false allegations is unfortunately cheap and demeaning to the high constitutional position of the Chief Minister. I feel compelled to react to the Chief Minister’s hasty public airing of his racist comments and false allegations,” Governor Ravi stated.
‘Hindi Month’ Sparks Fresh Language Row
Moreover, the Hindi Month valedictory function at the Doordarshan office in Chennai coinciding with its Golden Jubilee celebrations, faced significant backlash from the Tamil Nadu government and political leaders, reigniting the longstanding Hindi and non-Hindi speaking debate in the state.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in a post on X condemned the event and called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that holding Hindi Month events in states where Hindi is not the primary language is seen as an attempt to “belittle other languages.”
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president further highlighted that the Constitution of India does not designate any language as the national language.
“Therefore, I suggest that holding such Hindi-oriented events in non-Hindi speaking states could be avoided, and instead, the celebration of the local language month in the respective states should be encouraged,” Stalin suggested in his post.
I strongly condemn the celebration of Hindi Month valedictory function along with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan.Hon’ble @PMOIndia,
The Constitution of India does not grant national language status to any language. In a multilingual nation, celebrating…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 18, 2024
Despite the criticism, Governor RN Ravi, who attended the event, said that criticism of Hindi is an “excuse.” He also noted that he has seen a growing enthusiasm among the people of Tamil Nadu to learn Hindi in recent years.
“Talk against Hindi is an excuse. You celebrate Kannada Diwas, Malayalam Diwas, Telugu Diwas… I assure you there will be protests here by some people,” Ravi stated.
He further added: “In the last three years, I have visited almost every nook and corner of the state, participated in events, and interacted with students in schools and colleges. I have seen the growing enthusiasm among people of Tamil Nadu to learn Hindi.”
