TN Guv Ravi flays DMK’s handling of Tamil language, culture

CHENNAI: In a pointed attack on the ruling DMK, Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday criticised the lack of tangible efforts to preserve Tamil culture and literature, while also addressing the mismanagement of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar’s legacy.

During an event held at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore, where he felicitated Seeni Vishwanathan on receiving the Padma Shri award, Governor Ravi took aim at those who, despite vocally advocating for pride in Tamil language and culture for the last 60 years, fail to contribute meaningfully to its preservation.

He accused them of engaging in hollow rhetoric that fails to translate into concrete action, asserting that true reverence for Tamil lies in the preservation and promotion of its rich literary heritage. Ravi also called on society to take collective responsibility for upholding the ideals of Bharathiar, ensuring that his contributions continue to serve as a guiding force for future generations, and lamented over the absence of dedicated initiatives focused on Bharathiar within State universities.

Drawing attention to the establishment of a Bharathiar Chair at Banaras Hindu University under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, he questioned why no such efforts had been made in Tamil Nadu.