Tamil Nadu vs Thamizhagam explained that row that sparked controversy

Amid the row between the Governor and TN Government, various Dravidian political outfits have also condemned Governor Ravi.

Many posters with the words ‘#Getout Ravi’ were spotted in the Valluvar Kottam and Anna Salai areas of West Chennai, after the governor’s statement. Members of the ruling DMK and its allies, the Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) started raising slogans against the Governor before staging a walkout from the Assembly. DMK MLAs raised slogans such as ‘Don’t impose BJP, RSS ideology’.

Here’s what happened

On 4th January, the Governor R N Ravi sparked a controversy when he remarked that for the name of the State “Thamizhagam would be more appropriate than Tamil Nadu.”

While speaking at a function held in Raj Bhavan to felicitate the organisers and volunteers of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, he said, “Unfortunately in Tamil Nadu there has been regressive politics that we are Dravidians, and by virtue of the Constitution, we have been brought together. The entire effort has been created in half a century to reinforce this narrative that we are not part of the nation, an integral part of the nation. And even a different kind of narrative has been created. Everything applicable for the whole of the country, Tamil Nadu will say no.”

At the event, he had said that there has been regressive politics with ‘wrong habit’ of refusing everything that benefit all sections of people including academicians, by claiming that the state is not integrally a part of India. To that extent, the Kashi Tamil Sangamam is the start of a power-packed journey with the contribution of everyone in spreading its legacy further more towards national resurgence

“It has become a habit. So many theses have been written–all false and poor fiction. This must be broken. Truth must prevail. In fact, Tamil Nadu is the land which holds the soul of Bharat. It is the identity of Bharat. In fact, Thamizhagam would be the more appropriate word to call it.”

On the contrary, the BJP justified Ravi’s remark saying the word Thamizhagam is in common usage in the state, and that the DMK was needlessly targeting him as he questioned the government on the NEET Bill.

“The Governor is trying to do something that doesn’t suit his gubernatorial position. He wants to talk about politics rather than bestow importance to the developmental initiatives of the DMK government,” says R S Bharathi, DMK’s organising secretary.

The ruling DMK’s official organ ‘Murasoli’ on Saturday reprimanded Ravi for his alleged Thamizhagam remark and asserted that no one respects the Constitution and laws as Tamil Nadu does.

On Tuesday, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) workers on protested and demanded the removal of Governor Ravi from his post by the Centre for reportedly skipping certain parts of his speech in the Assembly and the ‘Tamizhagam’ remark row. TPDK workers also burnt the governor’s effigy in Coimbatore but the police prevented them from repeating the act in Chennai.

Amid the row between the Governor and TN Government, various Dravidian political outfits have also condemned Governor Ravi.

On Monday, the Tamil Nadu assembly also saw unprecedented scenes, when Governor Ravi walked out in a rush following the adoption of a resolution moved by CM Stalin which sought to expunge, from house records, whatever the Governor spoke outside the customary government-prepared address.

Soon after the Governor completed his speech, a resolution to exclude a certain portion of the speech of the Governor was adopted by the Assembly, which prompted the Governor to leave the assembly in a hurry.

CM Stalin accused the Governor of “delivering a speech that was extempore and deviated from the approved text.”

Elaborating on the whole issue, the Chief Minister said that the text for the customary address was already approved by the Governor and was given to the MLAs as printed books.

MLAs who were present in the assembly observed that Governor RN Ravi in his address skipped sentences, which contained words like Periyar, Ambedkar, Kalaingar Karunanithi, Kamarajar, Dravidian Model Government, Peaceful Tamil Nadu, Social Justice and self-respect.

They also said that Governor Ravi did not read the reference to the ‘Dravidian model’ that the ruling DMK promotes.

(With inputs from agencies)