Educationalists urge President Murmu to sack TN Guv Ravi for breaching oath to defend Constitution

CHENNAI: Condemning Governor RN Ravi's act of forcing students to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' at an aided college event in Madurai on Saturday, the State Platform for Common School System—Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), a collective comprising educationalists, has urged his removal from office. They have shot off a letter to the President with their demand.

Educationalists claimed that the Governor violated his oath of office and pointed out that he was invited as the chief guest at an event in the college in his position as the Governor of the State and not as a preacher of a particular region.

While addressing the students and audience at the event, the Governor went on to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' and forced the students to repeat the same three times; the association flagged.

The letter by SPCSS-TN stated, "As the students were instructed to be respectful during the Governor's visit, they had no choice but to repeat the chant asked by the Governor. Students had to passively submit themselves to avoid embarrassment to the college, staff and themselves.

"Governor Ravi is illiterate in terms of his knowledge of the curriculum and syllabus followed in schools and colleges. In TN educational institutions, poetry and prose of all religions are part of the syllabus of Tamil language subjects," the letter added.

The educationalists attacked the Governor for not being aware of any basic knowledge on how students learn the religious text like Kamba Ramayanam in a secular environment, making misguided statements using the office of the Governor.

The letter further stated that RN Ravi took an oath under Article 159 to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution to the best of his ability. However, the Governor failed to abide by the Constitution and deliberately violated Article 159, which is linked to the oath.

So, SPCSS-TN requested the President to remove RN Ravi from the office of the Governor.