'Dravida' skipped in Tamil Nadu state song, MK Stalin seeks Governor's removal

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the omission of 'Dravida' during the singing of the state song an insult to the Tamil language. He also alleged that Governor RN Ravi suffered from "Dravidian allergy".

In Short

• RN Ravi attended Hindi Month Valedictory function in Chennai
• Troupe singing Tamil Nadu state song skipped word 'Dravida'
• MK Stalin asks if Governor would dare remove 'Dravida' from national anthem

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday hit out at Governor RN Ravi over the omission of a line from the state song 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' recited during the Hindi Month Valedictory function he was attending at Doordarshan Chennai office on Friday.

However, the Governor's office denied the DMK chief's allegation, saying that RN Ravi was only attending the function, and the troupe reciting the state song, inadvertently skipped the line.

The line "Thekkanamum Adhirsirandha Dravida Nal Thirunaadum", a reference to the greatness of Dravidian land, was omitted when the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, the state song, was sung at the event.

Stalin went on to ask if Governor Ravi would dare omit the word from the national anthem too and called skipping of the line 'Dravida' from the state song an insult to Tamil Nadu and the Tamil language. He also demanded from the Centre to immediately remove Ravi, saying that he suffers from 'Dravidian allergy'.

"Removing the word Dravidian and chanting Tamil Thai greetings is against the law of Tamil Nadu! A person who does not go according to the law and acts according to his will is not fit to hold that office. In the guise of celebrating India, the Governor is insulting the unity of the country and the people of different races living in this land", Stalin said.

"Will the Governor who suffers from Dravidian allergy ask them to leave out Dravidian in the national anthem? The Union Government should immediately recall the Governor who is deliberately insulting Tamil Nadu and the sentiments of the people of the state", he added.

However, a statement said that Governor RN Ravi was only attending the function and had no role in skipping 'Dravida' from the state song.

The Governor's media advisor Thirugnana Sambandam put out a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, saying "At the beginning of programme, the troupe who recites the Thamizhthaai Vaazhthu has inadvertently missed a line which consisted of the word "Dravida". The matter was immediately brought to the notice of organisers and appropriate authorities are asked to look into the matter".

"The Governor or His Office has no role in this except that he participated in the Programme. Hon'ble Governor has high respect towards Tamil & sentiments of the State and will continue to hold them at the highest level", the statement maintained.

The Governor also lashed out at Stalin, saying that the latter posted 'regrettable statement' against him and called him a 'racist'.

"He (Stalin) made a racist remark against me and levelled false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu. He knows it well that I recite full Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu at every function and do so with reverence, pride and precision", RN Ravi said in a statement.

RN Ravi further highlighted that the Chief Minister knows that PM Modi and the Central government created several institutions for the spread of Tamil language and heritage within India, including Tamil Nadu and several countries of the world. PM Modi took Tamil even to the United Nations, he said.

"As a proud Indian, I myself have taken numerous substantive initiatives to spread Tamil, the oldest and richest living language, in other states of the country, the latest being to set up, with the cooperation of the Assam govt, a Tamil diploma course in Gauhati University for spread of Tamil in the North East", the statement highlighted.

Meanwhile, state-run public broadcaster Doordarshan also released a clarification and tendered an apology for the 'inadvertant mistake'.

"The Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu RN Ravi graced the commemoration of the Hindi Month Valedictory function and the Commemoration of Golden Jubilee Celebration by Doordarshan Chennai. During the rendering of the Tamizh Thai Vazthu, inadvertently a line was missed, which happened due to a distraction", the Prasar Bharti statement said.

"We apologise for the inadvertent mistake. There was no intention from the singers to disrespect Tamizh or Tamizh Thai Vazthu. In this regard, we apologise for the inconvenience caused to the Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu", the statement added.

Also, actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who floated his party Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018, offered his 'strongest condemnation' over skipping 'Dravida' in the state song, and said that Tamil would spew fire in return of hate.

"Dravidian has a place not only in the Tamil Thai greeting but also in the national anthem. Leaving out the words "Dravidian Nalthirunadu" and singing it, thinking that it is politics, is an act of insulting Tamil Nadu, the people of Tamil Nadu, the laws of the Tamil Nadu government and the world's oldest language, Tamil, which is the pride of India", Haasan's social media post written in Tamil read.

"If you spew hate, Tamil will spit fire! I offer my strongest condemnation", it added.

MK STALIN CONDEMNS CELEBRATION OF HINDI MONTH

Earlier, MK Stalin strongly condemned the celebration of the Hindi Month Valedictory function.

"I strongly condemn the celebration of Hindi Month valedictory function along with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan", MK Stalin's post on X said.

"Hon’ble @PMOIndia. The Constitution of India does not grant national language status to any language. In a multilingual nation, celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages. Therefore, I suggest that holding such Hindi-oriented events in non-Hindi speaking states could be avoided, and instead, the celebration of the local language month in the respective states should be encouraged" it added.

He also suggested that if the government still wants to persist with celebrating Hindi month in non-Hindi speaking states, it should also celebrate the local language, in this case Tamil.