Thiruvalluvar in white or saffron? Debate springs up again in Tamil Nadu after Governor Ravi’s post

“His eternal wisdom has immensely shaped and enriched the ideas and identity of our Nation and remains a source of guidance and inspiration for the whole of humanity,” the Governor wrote as part of his post.

Best known as the author of the Tirukkuṟal, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, Thiruvalluvar is widely regarded as a cultural and moral icon for Tamils across caste and religious lines. Pictures of him generally depict him in white clothes, and Dravidian groups consider him as a philosopher with no religious identifiers except his Dravidian roots.

Regarding the Governor’s post, DMK MP Kanimozhi said the post reflects that he has no basic understanding of Thiruvalluvar or Thirukkural.“No one has said Thiruvalluvar is a saint, there is a notion that he was married and no one has written so beautifully and poetically about domestic life than him. Us, Tamils, who had the opportunity to read and understand Thirukkural never saw him as a saint,” she told the media in Chennai.

“There are no religious symbols in Thirukkural, we cannot impose Sanatan or Hindutva symbols or any other religion on Thiruvalluvar. We need to understand this. Thirukkural is something which is beyond religion and speaks humanity,” she added.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin posted a picture of the poet in white attire and shared an image of the Valluvar statue at Kanniyakumari. He wrote as part of a post in Tamil, “No one can taint the poet for whom the state has built a 133-foot-tall stature and a monument in the capital city honouring him.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared a note honouring Thiruvalluvar but without any picture.

This was not the first time alleged attempts to appropriate Thiruvalluvar have been made. During a book festival in July 2022 in Coimbatore, participants were provided with a copy of the classic Thirukkural featuring a picture of Thiruvalluvar clad in saffron.

In 2021, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore found itself at the centre of a row after a portrait of Thiruvalluvar in saffron robe was placed in its library. Later, it was replaced with Thiruvalluvar’s portrait in white attire.

In 2019, the BJP state unit in Tamil Nadu tweeted a picture of Thiruvalluvar wearing saffron robes, leading to protests from the Dravidian and Left parties.

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