Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: Tamil Nadu politics is not regionalism, it is essentially Tamil "exceptionalism", which insists that Tamil is "distinct" from other languages, Governor R N Ravi has said.
As Tamil Nadu Governor, Ravi has repeated stand-offs with the DMK government led by M K Stalin.
"This Tamil exceptionalism is articulated by hatred against other languages, even those that belong to Dravidian family like Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. It is not just Hindi," the governor said.
He also criticised that Tamil politicians do not really love Tamil, as they haven’t done anything for the promotion of Tamil language or Tamil culture.
"The reality is that, every year, students are moving away from Tamil medium to English medium. The number of students pursuing their studies in Tamil is declining steadily and steeply," he said in an interview to a TV channel.
Ravi said the Tamil Nadu government has given "zero budget for research" in Tamil language and culture.
"There are over 11 lakh palm leaves manuscripts rotting in the state archive. No money is allotted for their preservation," he pointed out.
Alluding to the controversy surrounding 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' in October 2024 in a Doordarshan event, where the Tamil anthem was sung allegedly without the word "Dravida", the governor said the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government made a fuss over nothing.
He said he was just a guest at the event and the organisers made a mistake, but offered an apology. "In fact, I can sing Tamil Thai Vazhthu much better than many people who talk about Tamil," the governor said.
Recalling another incident that highlighted the tension between the government and the governor -- Ravi had walked out of the Assembly’s first session in January instead of delivering his customary address -- he said it was a "painful decision".
"I go to the Assembly to read the statement not to walk out. But, you know, I have a constitutional obligation to defend the Constitution and Article 51A of the Constitution that says the national anthem must be respected," the governor said.
Ravi was protesting that the national anthem was not played at the start of the session.
He pointed out that in such functions where a governor or president participates, it begins with the national anthem and concludes with it.
In the interview, Ravi also expressed his views on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir, where he spent many years as an intelligence officer, as well as in the North East.
Prior to Tamil Nadu, Ravi served as Nagaland Governor with an additional charge of Meghalaya.