Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has accused the state government of following an ideology that promotes linguistic apartheid and separatist sentiments. In an interview with the Times of India, Ravi dismissed the Dravidian model of governance as an expired ideology that does not promote the concept of "Oru Bharatham," or One India.
He alleged that the state government asked him to praise the Dravidian governance model during his address to the Assembly, which he refused to do.
Ravi stated that the Dravidian model of governance tries to erase the history and memory of hundreds of freedom fighters from the state and glorifies those who collaborated with the British.
He cited the recent budget announcement to set up a central Kalaignar library with 3.25 lakh books, but only in Tamil and English, as an instance of "linguistic apartheid" promoted by the government. He claimed that no other Indian language is allowed entry into Tamil Nadu, and the state government's policies foster separatist sentiment.
The Governor had previously expressed his preference to call the state Tamilagam instead of Tamil Nadu. He stated that efforts have been made for over 50 years to reinforce a narrative that implies that Tamil Nadu is not an integral part of India.
In the first Assembly session of this year, he had skipped a few portions, including one on the Dravidian model of governance, in his customary address. He walked out of the Assembly when passages he had ignored were being read out, receiving severe backlash from legislators and others.
The DMK Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate, P Wilson, strongly countered Ravi's comments on Dravidian ideology. He pointed out that Tamil Nadu had been voting overwhelmingly in favour of Dravidian ideology time and again, including in the 2021 elections, where the Dravidian model of governance was held up before the voters as a cherished ideal.
In a tweet, Wilson criticized Ravi, stating that he seems to be labouring under a delusion that he knows the people and politics of the state.
The Governor's comments have sparked a controversy, with many politicians and citizens taking to social media to express their views. Some have accused him of trying to impose his personal views on the state, while others have criticized his remarks as being insensitive and divisive.
The Tamil Nadu government has not yet responded to Ravi's comments, but it is likely to fuel the ongoing tensions between the Governor and the state government.