News Tamil Nadu

“Robert Caldwell Was A School Dropout”: TN Guv RN Ravi Rips Apart The Founder Of Dravidian Ideology

October 25, 2023
The Commune

Speaking at a private IAS training academy in Trichy commemorating the death anniversary of freedom fighters – the Marudhu brothers, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi paid a heartfelt tribute to the freedom fighters. He commended the Marudhu Brothers for their pivotal role in kindling the flame of India’s independence and highlighted their significant contribution to the Jambudweep declaration.

Governor Ravi also raised questions about the government’s approach, suggesting that even legendary figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh might have been reduced to caste icons/leaders if they had been born in the state.

British Design To Divide People

Speaking on the British design to divide the people, he spoke about Robert Caldwell and the Aryan-Dravidian theory.

He said, “An attempt has been made and a concerted attempt has been made in this in this state to erase the history of this place, to write a parallel history of this place. They have created a false narrative of racial divide, Dravidian-Aryan race but by the way, who was the father of this Theory who gave this Dravidian theory, that Dravidian is a separate race, who gave it, it was Robert Cardwell. Robert Caldwell was the one who wrote the grammar of the Dravidian language and he tried to create a theory and a hypothesis that Dravidians are a separate race. By the way, do you know who was Robert Caldwell? I think many of you might not be aware I have done the study I have gone to London I have studied there about the background of all these people. In 1813 British Parliament made a law British Parliament made a law that is called the India Charter Act 1813. Under that charter which was about what the British would do in India, one of the mandates of the British government was to evangelise India, to kill the culture and spirituality of India, section 13 of India Charter Act 1813, those of you who are students, go and look into the Act. Evangelisation of India was an Act of the British Parliament. And after that, they started looking for volunteers who’d come with the missionaries in this country. Educated people with job prospects did not like to come. They had better opportunities there. And even if they came to India, they came as an employee of the company and later the British government where they were better paid. So what they started doing? They started picking up school dropouts – Robert Caldwell was a school dropout, he was not even 17 years of age, he could not clear his school examination, never went to a college or university. He came here and he over time somehow became an expert in languages. He wrote the grammar of the Dravidian language and he said that it is a different language and a different race. It was the British design to divide this country, it was the British design to fragment it into as many pieces as possible and more so when the national freedom movement started, they became far more active. It was at that point in time, that they started picking up collaborators, those who could help them, those who could work with them and help defeat the National Freedom Movement and see that the British continued here.”

Robert Caldwell & Dravidian Ideology

The Aryan-Dravidian Racist Theory, originally advocated by Christian Padres and the British Government, served as a convenient platform for prominent figures within the Dravidian Movement to advocate for the creation of a separate Tamil Nation. Leaders such as EVR, Annadurai, and Karunanidhi, all proponents of Dravidian racial ideologies, held Robert Caldwell in high regard, even considering him akin to a God. They extensively employed his unfounded Dravidian theories to support their campaign for a separate Tamil Nation.

Collaborators In India

He also added that the “idols” worshipped today had gone to London asking the British not to grant India freedom. He said, “On record, some of these people, those who are worshipped today here, had gone to London and presented a memorandum not to give freedom to India. These are forgotten chapters of history. But be sure these are not lost all these documents are there, these are available. And so all through the National Freedom Movement they started counter Freedom Movement and counter Freedom Movement was built around this Aryan-Dravidian divide and domination of the Aryan, domination of the north and so they started destroying the institutions that had defined this place. I have always maintained Tamil Nadu is a punyabhumi this is a land of great spiritual leaders, siddhars, and rishis.”

No Proper Recognition For Freedom Fighters In TN

In a poignant statement, Governor Ravi lamented that he received a list of just 40 Tamil Nadu freedom fighters, which shockingly omitted the mention of the Marudhu brothers. He questioned how a state with such a profoundly rich historical legacy could have recognized so few freedom fighters, especially when compared to smaller states like Nagaland, which boasts over a thousand such heroes. 

Governor Ravi also expressed his remorse regarding the prohibitory order imposed in 2012. This order limited public gatherings in the Sivaganga district, where the Marudhu brothers had played a pivotal role in the revolt against the British. Consequently, the act of honouring their sacrifices has been relegated to a private affair. 

Jambudweep Declaration

Governor Ravi also added that when he visited Delhi and other places, he tried to educate people that the first major battle for India’s freedom wasn’t in 1857, but in 1801. Governor Ravi acknowledged that the Marudhu brothers, pioneers in India’s fight for freedom, were among the earliest to spark the national movement for independence. They sacrificed their lives and established a visionary framework known as “Jambudweep Prakatanam”(declaration) for the entire nation and this declaration was enshrined in the Srirangam temple in Tiruchirappalli.

He said he was astonished at how the Marudhu Brothers created a plan to free all of India, formed alliances with other rulers, and became a strong force against the British and more importantly the Jambudweep Declaration. He said, it was sad that there weren’t many academic studies about these heroes, but there were over 5000 PhDs about certain Dravidian ideologies. He also added that when he looked at these PhD theses, he found that they seemed more like propaganda than genuine research. It was like a way to get a job as a professor – do a Ph.D., tell the story they wanted to hear and get hired. He regretted that he couldn’t find a single Ph.D. thesis about the Marudhu brothers, although some people had done their own research. He said he wished more people studied and researched the lives and times of these great individuals. Their lives reflected the terrible things the British did to our society. He also added that he was happy because some people still remember the Marudhu Brothers. 

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