Tamil Nadu Guv slams 'hollow rhetoric' of those claiming to uphold Tamil pride

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has criticised those who claim to uphold Tamil language and culture while making no real contribution, labelling their statements as "hollow rhetoric." True reverence lay in preserving and promoting Tamil’s rich literary heritage, he said, without naming anyone.

Felicitating Seeni Viswanathan, on being conferred the Padma Shri award for his contribution to compiling Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar's literary works in chronological order, here on Tuesday, Ravi called upon society to take ownership of Bharathiar’s legacy, ensuring that his ideals remained a guiding force for future generations.

On Raj Bhavan’s initiatives, he said a statue of the national poet was installed, a state-level essay competition was conducted, and the Durbar Hall was renamed as Bharathiar Mandapam under the leadership of President Droupadi Murmu.

Reaffirming that Bharathiar belonged to all of Bharat, he stressed the importance of translating his works into other Indian languages.

He lamented the absence of dedicated efforts on Bharathiar in state universities. "When a Bharathiar Chair could be established at Banaras Hindu University by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, why a similar initiative could not be carried out in Tamil Nadu," he wondered.

Ravi claimed that despite vice-chancellors expressing willingness to take up such an initiative, they faced 'pressure and threats.'

"Mahakavi Bharathiar lives in the hearts of the people, yet his legacy is being undermined by a chauvinistic ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, which seeks to erase his contributions through active indifference and passive hostility," he said.

He pointed out that this ecosystem felt 'insecure' discussing Bharathiar because he envisioned an inclusive Bharat, spoke of the harmony between Kashi and Kanchi, and championed the Vedas — ideas that contradicted the divisive narrative promoted by the same ecosystem.