DMK vs TN Governor face off again as Ravi criticises govt in I-day Speech; CM Stalin to boycott ‘At Home’ reception

Chennai: In an unusual move, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday used his Independence Day speech to castigate the DMK dispensation on various counts, including increasing suicides, drug abuse among youth, and atrocities on Dalits, and alleged that women are “scared to come out of their houses” due to rising sexual offences and violence against them.  

Hitting back, the government announced that Chief Minister M K Stalin and his cabinet colleagues, will boycott the ‘At Home’ reception to be hosted by Ravi on Friday on the occasion of 79^thIndependence Day.

Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian said the decision was taken to show their protest against the Governor for his activities that are against Tamil Nadu and its interests.

Chezhian also said he will not attend the convocation ceremonies of two universities to be presided over by the Governor next week.

The governor’s remarks and the Chief Minister’s decision escalates the tensions between the Raj Bhavan and Fort St George. There was de-escalation of tension in April after the Supreme Court declared as having assented to 10 bills which were withheld by the Governor.

However, the latter forwarding a Bill seeking to set up a university after late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi to the President led to yet another stand-off between the two institutions. 

In his speech, the Governor claimed that standards of teaching and learning are sharply declining in government schools and cited data that more than 50 per cent of high school students cannot do simple two digits addition and subtraction. 

“The public education eco-system in Tamil Nadu is on steady decline. The learning gap between the socially and economically marginalised and others is sharply widening…They are merely passing out with certificates without job opportunities for them,” Ravi said. 

He also alleged that it is a matter of collective shame that even after 78 years of Independence, rampant humiliating social discrimination practices are prevalent in Tamil Nadu and flagged that a disturbingly large number of people especially the youth of Tamil Nadu are dying by suicides. 

“The national average is 12 suicides for one lakh population. In Tamil Nadu, it is over 26 – more than double the national average. Not only large number of our people are committing suicides, our State stands out as the worst affected even in group suicides i.e. the number of families committing suicides,” he added. 

Talking about drug abuse, the Governor said while the rise in ganja consumption is marginal, there is a steep increase in consumption of synthetic drugs which are far more dangerous and damaging. 

“You can imagine the scale of its prevalence by the quantity of such drugs seized. In 2024, the seizure of synthetic drugs increased 14 times over the previous years. It is taking a heavy toll especially on our youth. According to the official data, over 2,000 people especially the youth of Tamil Nadu every year are committing suicide due to drug abuse,” he said. 

Contending that there is a sharp increase in the incidents of sexual offences specially POCSO rape cases in Tamil Nadu, the Governor said there has been over 56 per cent increase in POCSO rape cases in 2024, while incidents of molestation of women have jumped by over 33 per cent.

“Our sisters and daughters are afraid and feel insecure coming out of their house. Unprecedented rise in sexual offences and violence against women is unacceptable, deplorable and must be curbed with a heavy and harsh hand,” he added.