Governor Ravi would now have understood what “Tamil Nadu” is; Tamil Nadu had made him to understand. We have to thank him for making this year’s Pongal a festival of protest, especially after the Jallikattu protests during 2017 Pongal. The year started with a political freshness.
Governor RN Ravi held a felicitation programme at the Raj Bhavan in Guindy on January 4 to appreciate the organizers and the participants of the Kasi Tamil Sangamam programme, which was organized with the aim of corrupting the history and culture of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people. He said “In Tamil Nadu, there has been a regressive politics that we are Dravidians. Here in Tamil Nadu, a different kind of narrative has been created. Everything applicable for the whole of the country, Tamil Nadu will say no. It has become a habit” and expressed his ‘anguish’. Moreover, he said “Thamizhagam would be a more appropriate word to call Tamil Nadu. We all know that Tamil Nadu is an integral part of India”.
He had previously said “Tirukkural is not just a code of ethics and morality but also an epic holding the wisdom of eternal spirituality”, “Dravidians was mainly a geographical, rather than racial, division. But the British made it racial to suit their needs”, “‘Sanatana dharma’ that gave rise to a ‘Sanatan culture started from ‘Thamizhagam’ and spread to the entire country”. His saying that “Tamil Nadu should be called Thamizhagam” expresses the peak of his arrogance.
Ravi provoked the political forces in Tamil Nadu to a situation where they could no longer tolerate and faced the consequence for his action.
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MP TR Baalu had criticised the Governor that “Tamil Nadu, Tamils and Tamil language taste bitter for Mr. Ravi. It is for him to make a decision to leave them”. Political leaders, including K Veeramani, had also objected to the Governor’s remarks. In response to the Governor’s speech, the hashtag #TamilNadu became trending on Twitter.
On January 9, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch (VCK), Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), CPI, CPM and the Congress had come out in protest against RN Ravi, who had come to deliver the Governor’s address on the first assembly session of the year. The Assembly reverberated with slogans ‘Tamil Nadu Vazhgave’ (Long live Tamil Nadu) and ‘Engal Nadu Tamil Nadu’ (Our land is Tamil Nadu) and ‘Let’s boycott the Governor’s address’. Later, they boycotted the Governor’s address and walked out of the House. It is to be noted that the PMK, along with the DMK allies, also staged a walkout.
RN Ravi’s Vigilantism!
Even though his speech was opposed in the Assembly, the arrogant RN Ravi behaved even more arrogantly. Instead of reading the Governor address as exactly prepared by the Government of Tamil Nadu, he read it by cutting and pasting some information. In particular, he ignored the word “Tamil Nadu government” and read it as “this government”.
He ignored words like “social justice”, “self-respect”, “equality”, “rationalism”, “Dravidian model”, and the names of leaders like “Thanthai Periyar”, “Annal Ambedkar”, “Perunthalaivar Kamarajar”, “Perarignar Anna” and “Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar”.
Since the Governor did not read the approved content, Chief Minister MK Stalin moved a resolution to retain only the printed and approved speech copy on the Assembly records. RN Ravi, who could not tolerate this, ran away even before the national anthem was played.
If RN Ravi had to oppose the DMK, he could have done it in other ways. The Governor may have even boycotted the assembly session without delivering his speech. Not sticking to the approved text is not only an act against an individual party called DMK, but also, it calls into question the sovereignty of the government of Tamil Nadu.
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Next, on January 10, in the Pongal invitation issued by the Raj Bhavan, the Governor referred to himself as “Tamizhaga Aalunar” (Governor of Tamizhagam) instead of “Governor of Tamil Nadu”. Instead of the emblem of the government of Tamil Nadu, the emblem of the union government was used. And the invitation mentioned the dates according to the Roman calendar, instead of referring to the Tamil year as ‘Tiruvalluvar Aandu’ and the month as ‘Thai’.
Thinking that he was opposing the DMK government and its allies, Ravi is challenging the people of Tamil Nadu through his actions.
A befitting reply to fascist arrogance!
Apart from the BJP and the slave AIADMK, all other parties and organisations protested against RN Ravi’s actions and there was a strong opposition from the students and people of Tamil Nadu.
Following the Governor’s arrogance on Day 1 of the Assembly, the VCK and CPM announced a demonstration to lay siege to Raj Bhavan.
On January 12, a high-level DMK delegation led by law minister S Raghupathy and accompanied by the DMK MPs TR Baalu, A Raja, P Wilson and NR Elango met President Draupadi Murmu and handed over the memorandum from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to instruct the Governor to act according to the Constitution.
At several places in Chennai, long posters with the hashtag #GetOutRavi were put up by the DMK condemning the Governor. Moreover, the SDPI has put up posters demanding the resignation of the Governor and the Makkal Needhi Maiam put up posters at various places saying “Long live Tamil Nadu”. In various districts of Tamil Nadu, the DMK and its student wing protested by holding black flags and burning a photo of Governor Ravi.
In Tiruppur and Puducherry, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam activists protested against the Governor by raising slogans and beating the Governor’s effigy with slippers. In Pollachi, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) burnt an effigy of the Governor. Apart from this, protests were held on behalf of various organisations against the Governor at various places in Tamil Nadu.
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In Tiruvallur district, lawyers staged a protest in front of the Ponneri sub-court by trampling on the Governor’s portrait.
College students and the youth started protesting against the Governor. More than 100 students from various colleges, including Chennai Presidency College, New College, Tiruttani Arts College, Edappadi Government Arts and Science College, Salem Government Arts College, staged protests against the Governor by raising slogans such as “Our Land Tamil Nadu”, “Get out Governor” and “Long live Tamil Nadu”.
In Chennai’s Pattabiram, traffic jams were witnessed on Tirupati highway as more than 100 students of Hindu College sat on the road and staged a picketing. When the students of Kalaignar Karunanidhi Government Arts College in Thiruvannamalai staged a protest in front of the college gate, they tore the Governor’s portrait and burnt it to register their objection.
Chief Minister MK Stalin in his Pongal greetings indirectly quoted the assembly event. He said, “This Pongal festival has become an extra-sweet Pongal for us because we have waged a righteous struggle guaranteed by the Constitution to protect the dignity and the self-respect of Tamil Nadu in the Assembly”. Moreover, he said, “Let us welcome the first day of the Tamil month of Thai (Pongal) by drawing rangolis outside your homes with the slogan Vaazhga Tamil Nadu (Long Live Tamil Nadu)”.
Welcoming the this, slogans like “Tamil Nadu”, “Long live Tamil Nadu”, “Our Land Tamil Nadu”, “GetOutRavi” adorned the houses of many people during Pongal. Moreover, for more than two days, social media platforms, including Twitter, were dominated by hashtags like #தமிழ்நாடு (Tamil Nadu) and #GetOutRavi.
Why the word “Tamil Nadu” infuriates Saffrons?
Earlier, most people, who used both the names Tamil Nadu and Tamizhagam interchangeably, are now consciously chanting “Tamil Nadu”. Because the difference between “Tamil Nadu” and “Tamizhagam” is not just about the word.
Many questioned that if “Nadu” in Tamil Nadu was the issue, then the “Rashtra” and “Pradesh” in the names of the states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh also refers to a ‘separate region’. In the name of “one country”, “one nation”, the RSS-BJP mob is trying to establish a Hindu Rashtra by crushing the autonomy of many nationalities. The reason for their anguish is that “Tamil Nadu” remains the only nightmare for them.
That’s why the saffron mob could not digest even the name “Tamil Nadu”. Tamil Nadu is questioning their principle that “Bharat is one”. RN Ravi’s speech is an expression of this anguish.
Not just Ravi, the pro RSS-BJP newspapers, including “Dinamalar”, “Thuglak”, etc. are using “Tamizhagam” instead of “Tamil Nadu”. Ravi publically expressed the RSS-BJP’s views and got back from the Tamil people what he deserved.
Let’s drive out the fascist spy!
The RSS-BJP mob, which has been vocal in its campaigns against the DMK on “corruption”, “anti-Hindu” and “law and order break down”, was unable to bolster Ravi who had insulted the sentiments of the Tamils and has been at the receiving end. In the end, RN Ravi himself bowed down before Tamil Nadu.
“I referred to the word ‘Tamizhagam’ while dwelling upon the age-old historical cultural connect between the Tamil people and Kashi. 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. An interpretation or inference that it was a suggestion to change the name of Tamil Nadu is erroneous and far-fetched”, Governor Ravi said in his statement.
Ravi says that he didn’t say that in that sense, and we had misunderstood. If so, if you ask why the Pongal invitation card does not bear the name Tamil Nadu and the logo of the Tamil Nadu government, then there will be no answer. After deciding to kneel down, he chose to do that with ‘dignity’!
Ravi didn’t stop there. Nowadays, wherever he goes, he has made it a habit to pronounce ‘Tamil Nadu’ as a ‘security measure’. Recently, speaking to the newly recruited IAS cadres who joined the training, R N Ravi said, “Wherever Tamils go, they love the name Tamil Nadu and the Tamil language very much”. In another meeting, while he was speaking, he chanted “Long live Tamil Nadu” and “Long live Bharat”.
Ravi, who was portrayed as a ‘hero who suppressed militant groups in Nagaland and established peace’, was made to surrender by Tamil Nadu. Ever since Ravi took over as Governor, there have been several protests against his anti-Tamil Nadu attitude. But, Ravi never explained his actions. He has been walking with fascist arrogance. It is important that such an arrogant Ravi has been made to bend down.
But this is only the beginning. RN Ravi is sitting on more than 20 Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly without giving his assent. He acted deceitfully without deciding till the very end on the files on the release of seven Tamils. How many protests were required to send the NEET Bill to the President? The number of corpses has been on the rise as the Bill banning online gambling has been dragged on till date without being approved by him.
Therefore, our victory will be incomplete without driving out this RSS-BJP spy. We need to give shape to the slogan Get-out-Ravi!
Tamil Nadu’s blow to RN Ravi should be a warning to the RSS-BJP mob, which is of the view that ‘there are no strong forces in the political arena who can oppose us’ and that ‘we can establish a Hindu Rashtra without any hindrance’.
The spies of the fascist invasion, like RN Ravi, also exist in other opposition-ruled states like Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal and Delhi. The fascist mob is creating troubles to the government elected by the people, in the name of Governor. The blow from Tamil Nadu will set an example for the people of other states; It will encourage the anti-fascist forces. Therefore, driving out the fascist spy RN Ravi should be the immediate task of all the revolutionary and democratic forces fighting the RSS-BJP in Tamil Nadu!
Baanu
