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Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi backtracks on Tamizhagam row: ‘Did not suggest renaming of state’

Had angered even BJP and RSS leaders, who claim he is being misguided by vested interests, at a time when even saffron outfits are sticking to the language of social justice to endear to the state's people

MLAs belonging to the allies of the ruling government raise slogans against Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi at the first session of the year of Tamil Nadu Assembly. CM MK Stalin is also seen. (PTI)
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In a significant political win for the ruling DMK, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi clarified on Wednesday that he had not suggested changing the name of the state from “Tamil Nadu” to “Tamizhagam”. Claiming that he was not suggesting a name change, the statement from Raj Bhavan said he was only referring to the word ‘Tamizhagam’. The word refers to a geographical region historically inhabited by ancient Tamil people that covers Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry of today, and has obvious political implications.

The governor had kicked up the controversy last week, when the Raj Bhavan’s Pongal celebration invitations, printed in Tamil, referred to him as “the Governor of Tamizhagam”, not Tamil Nadu. The invitations had also replaced the state government emblem with that of the Union government.

“In an event at Raj Bhavan on January 4, 2023, to felicitate the volunteers of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam — a recently concluded month-long festival celebrating the age-old cultural connect of the Tamil people with Kashi — while dwelling upon the historical cultural connect between the two, I referred to the word ‘Tamizhagam’. In those days, there was no ‘Tamil Nadu’. Hence in 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,” said a statement issued by Governor Ravi on Wednesday.

“Without understanding the basis of my speech, arguments that the Governor is against the word ‘Tamil Nadu’ have become a topic of discussion. Hence, I am giving this clarification to put an end to it,” he said.

It should be noted that Governor Ravi’s clarification came a week after the controversy erupted, and Delhi had called him in at a time when the BJP leadership felt that Ravi’s tough stance was hurting the party. Last week, the state Assembly saw unprecedented scenes when the Governor deviated from his approved speech and left the Assembly in protest, after an instant resolution was moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin, demanding that only the speech that had been approved by Raj Bhavan earlier be officially recorded and not the one the Governor had read out.

Governor Ravi was being misled by some fellow travellers of the Sangh Parivar, a top RSS leader in Tamil Nadu told The Indian Express. “Normally, any disruption or challenge from the Raj Bhavan to the DMK government would be viewed favourably by the BJP — we’re actually quite happy with that. But Ravi appeared to have lost it, because he lacked restraint in the controversies he chose. The Tamil Nadu BJP state unit was successfully implementing changes Prime Minister Narendra Modi had consciously made to the Centre’s strategy regarding the state, while Governor Ravi was taking us back to pointless Aryan, Sanskrit and Sanatan debates, at a time when we are celebrating Tamil culture and leaders are using the term ‘social justice’ to promote central government schemes,” the RSS leader said. Regarding the Centre’s strategy regarding the state, he was referring to schemes and events organised by the BJP as well as the central government to celebrate Tamil language and culture, and the PM’s regular praise of Tamil language and culture in most of his overseas speeches.

“We have informed Delhi about certain individuals mentoring him [the Governor] in Chennai, and how he prepares his public exchanges and speeches verbatim, which is not only harmful to the central government and the BJP, but also sabotages the political work being done by Sangh cadres locally,” the RSS leader also said.

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After several BJP and RSS leaders disagreed with Governor Ravi last week and expressed their concerns and disapproval, BJP state chief K Annamalai himself publicly disagreed with the governor two days ago.

In his interview to a Tamil news channel, Thanti TV, Annamalai said the controversy over ‘Tamil Nadu’ and ‘Tamizhagam’ was unnecessary and that it was one that is “not going to bring out any productive outcome.” To a question about the Governor’s Pongal celebration invitation omitting the state emblem, Annamalai said: “I am telling you… 100 per cent the Tamil Nadu logo should have been there in the invitation. But I see it as a clerical error, because the Governor is not such a person… It may not have been a conscious act.”

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