Dravidian identity: Guv speaking like RSS man, says DMK; AIADMK defends

CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi’s assertion that the concept of Dravidian covers the people of southern states, but it has now become a Tamil identity due to politics of division, was dismissed by the ruling DMK as a statement coming from a “RSS man” and not from one holding a gubernatorial position.

The Opposition AIADMK, however, endorsed the Governor’s view saying the Dravidian origin encompasses the geographical territory of the five states in the south of the country and that the DMK was indulging in political rhetoric to serve its purpose.

Dismissing the Governor’s remark, DMK senior leader and party organising secretary RS Bharathi said, “He is not behaving like a Governor. He is behaving and talking like a RSS man.” The Governor’s remark does not merit attention, Bharathi said.

However, endorsing Ravi’s view, AIADMK legal wing state joint secretary RM Babu Murugavel said people migrated and settled in Tamil Nadu for various reasons. “I am Tamil, someone is Telugu or Kannada or hails from Kerala. But our origin is Dravidian,” he said. The DMK always took up emotive issues like language, caste or religion to play politics, he claimed.

“As a Tamil, I am proud of my culture and tradition and I carry it wherever I go. There’s no need for a party to remind me of my origin,” Murugavel added.

BJP state chief K Annamalai said, “The DMK raises the language issue glorifying itself as custodian of Tamil and opposes Hindi whenever it faces anti-incumbency wave. This is the DMK’s Dravidian model of governance.”