In an interview to the Times of India, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi discussed the state’s current political situation. He discussed a wide range of issues, including the state’s breakdown of law and order, his walkout from the assembly a few months ago, the ‘expired Dravidian Model,’ finance minister PTR’s allegations on Governor Office violating Finance Code, DMK’s separatist tendencies and much more.
DMK Govt’s Propaganda And Lies
Governor RN Ravi said that he refused to read the speech verbatim given by the DMK government as the speech given to him was full of lies and propaganda. “As for the speech that the state prepares, it is usually on the government policies and programmes. But the speech given to me was full of materials where it was neither policies nor programmes, but propaganda. They were inaccurate, they were lies,” Governor said.
RN Ravi refused to read that Tamil Nadu is a “heaven of peace,” citing instances of violence in the state such as a series of petrol bombs thrown after PFI was banned, the Coimbatore car bomb blast outside temple, the Kallakurichi incident in which more than 5000 people gathered in a school and burned it down, DMK leaders molesting a women constable in public who was later forced to withdraw case later and much more. He said, “There are videos. And all this happened while the police kept watching. Yet another case, at a public meeting, some weeks before the assembly address, a lady police constable in uniform was molested by a DMK leader. She was compelled to withdraw the case.”
He went on to say that the sand mafia was going into the offices of village administrative officers every other day and hack them to death, and that the government was complacent despite intelligence from central agencies about modules working for international drug and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Pakistan.
RN Ravi said, “Now, with all this happening, you ask me to say it is a ‘haven of peace’. I am oathbound to tell the people of Tamil Nadu the truth.”
On HR&CE
Governor RN Ravi added to the list of reasons for not reading out the DMK government’s statement verbatim, saying that while the government has reclaimed 3000 acres of encroached land, it is nothing in comparison to the more than 50000 acres to be recovered. The governor stated, “They wanted me to praise for the excellent management of temples.”
Explaining breakdown of administration in HR&CE, Governor RN Ravi said that the case filed against the Dikshithars in Chidambaram Natarajar temple was fabricated and out of vengeance. He said that the charges of child marriage against Dikshithars were false and that the school girls of class 6 and 7 were forced to undergo ‘two finger’ test to prove their virginity.
Governor said, “Some of them tried to commit suicide. I wrote a letter to the chief minister, asking what is this? Now, against the backdrop of all that is happening, you want me to praise the government. Isn’t that too much?”
Dravidian Model, An Ideology Past Its Expiry Date
According to Governor RN Ravi, there is no such model of governance called Dravidian Model and that it is only a political slogan and a desperate bid to sustain an expired ideology which does not relish the idea of one India.
He went on to say that Dravidam is an ideology that downplays the national freedom movement, attempting to erase from history and memory the hundreds of thousands of Tamil Nadu freedom fighters who gave their lives and everything in order to glorify those who collaborated with the British.
He further added that Dravidam is an ideology that rabidly enforces linguistic apartheid on the whole of the nation such that no other Indian language is allowed entry into Tamil Nadu.
RN Ravi said, “It is an ideology that has created an ecosystem that fosters separatist sentiment. I don’t think anyone can expect me to endorse that. No, I will not, and I said I will not. After my speech, the speaker read out the Tamil version, I waited.”
RN Ravi said, “But against the protocol, against the norms, the chief minister got up and in connivance with the speaker, wanted to embarrass the governor in the house by passing a resolution against the governor. I didn’t allow them to do that. How can you embarrass the governor, in his presence? So, I walked out. Let them not tell me about Dr Ambedkar. This happened in January, before I got his statue installed here. He lives in my heart.”
He also pointed how there has been a drastic reduce in candidates from Tamil Nadu cracking the UPSC civil service exam. Governor Ravi blamed it on the declining quality of education.
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