‘Governor of Tamizhagam’: Tamil Nadu governor’s Pongal invitations spark new controversy

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s latest invitations for Pongal also bear the emblem of the Union Government and not the state government.

Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi is accorded the Guard of Honour before he attends the first session of the year of Tamil Nadu Assembly, at Fort St George, in Chennai, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (PTI Photo/File)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has sparked yet another controversy by sending out invitations for the Pongal festival with the Union Government’s logo rather than the state government’s, and referring to himself as ‘Tamizhaga Aalunar’ or the governor of Tamizhagam. The governor’s suggestion to rename the state from Tamil Nadu to ‘Tamizhagam’ last week had sparked anger in both the ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK.

The controversy over the invitation broke out Tuesday, a day after the governor and the government came to a confrontation in the Assembly. On Monday, Governor Ravi’s changes to a prepared speech he read out in the Tamil Nadu Assembly saw Chief Minister M K Stalin step in and demand that only the original speech be put on record, prompting the governor to stage a walkout.

Also Read | Tamizhagam or Tamil Nadu? Lost in translation in Governor-DMK tussle

The recent Pongal invitation sent to VIPs and senior government figures is likely to trigger strong reactions because earlier invitations of a similar nature from his office had referred to him as the ‘Governor of Tamil Nadu’, including the one sent for the Tamil New Year celebrations held in April 2022.

Story continues below this ad

MLAs belonging to the allies of the ruling government raise slogans against Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi before staging a walkout during his address at the first session of the year of Tamil Nadu Assembly, at Fort St George, in Chennai, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (PTI Photo)

In contrast to invitations issued by the Raj Bhavan in the past that bore the emblem of the Tamil Nadu government, the emblem in the latest is that of the Union Government.

Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, who shared the invitation on Twitter, said that there were differences between the invitation sent last year and now. The Communist leader further added that the Tamil Nadu emblem is avoided in this year’s invite from Raj Bhavan as it carries the phrase Tamil Nadu.

இதேபோல தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களின் வரிப்பணத்திலிருந்தும் வாடகை வீட்டிலிருந்தும் ரோசப்பட்டு வெளியேறுவார் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கலாமா? 2/2 pic.twitter.com/StNkjOkzni

— Su Venkatesan MP (@SuVe4Madurai) January 10, 2023

Governor Ravi and his wife Lakshmi Ravi are the hosts of the ‘Pongal Peruvizha (festival)’ that will take place on January 12 at the Chennai Raj Bhavan.

Don't Miss | What is the ‘Dravidian model of governance’ reference that TN Governor Ravi ‘skipped’

While it has been common to use the word ‘Tamizhagam’ especially when discussing matters pertaining to the state, such as when referring to the chief minister as ‘Tamizhaga Muthalvar’ (Muthalvar means CM), the word has become problematic ever since governor Ravi’s announcement to rename the state was interpreted as a political stance in support of the BJP and against Dravidian politics.

The word ‘Tamizhagam’ was observed taking on a new contentious face and tenor at one of the recent functions that the state health minister Ma Subramanian attended at T Nagar in the city. After referring to the state twice in his speech using the word ‘Tamizhaga…,’ he was seen quickly correcting himself and remarking that “these days, this word itself can create trouble”.