The Tamil Nadu State Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on Monday with the Governor, R N Ravi, walking out of the House amid a row over his remarks. This is not the first instance wherein the DMK government, headed by M K Stalin, has clashed with the Governor, appointed by the Centre, even as the state government has historically remained fundamentally opposed to the Governor's post.
A high-level DMK delegation is set to meet the President in New Delhi on Wednesday to complain against Governor R N Ravi.
We explain what happened so far and how the issue snowballed into Monday's showdown:
What happened on Monday?
DMK and allies protested after the Governor, in his address to the House, deviated from the speech that the government had prepared. Ravi made some changes and added some parts on his own.
The Governor, who was invited to deliver his address at the first session of the year, skipped references to B R Ambedkar, and E V R Periyar, the Dravidian model of governance, and the law and order situation.
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Soon after the speech, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin rose from his chair to disapprove of the remarks and moved a resolution to have 'on record' only the government-approved version of the speech.
“It is not only regrettable, but against the rules of the House, that the Governor did not read the full text from the prepared script for which he had given his assent,” Stalin said.
After this, Ravi walked out of the House before the national anthem was played, which led DMK leaders to call out his 'insult' to the nation.
The BJP and allies, in return, accused the DMK and ally parties of behaving like 'fringe elements' for petty political gains.
Why was the speech controversial and can the governor make such changes?
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde told DH that "the Governor’s address is essentially an exercise of reading out an elected government’s objectives and point of view for the ensuing session."
The beginning of the year speech is understood to be of the government of the day, just delivered by the Governor.
The Governor reportedly skipped portions that he felt were 'far from truth'. Among the parts he skipped, the 65th point in the speech referred to the Dravidian model of governance, a term coined by Stalin to showcase the achievements of his government, and referred to leaders like Ambedkar, Periyar, K Kamaraj, C N Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi, the 12th point was about law and order situation in TN, and the 64th point was about the revival of economy and other related issues. Portions of the 7th point the governor missed were about a resolution passed by the Assembly demanding official language status for all state languages.
After this controversy, the hashtag #GetOutRavi also trended on Twitter with posters being stuck in several places in the state.
Tamil Nadu vs Tamizhagam
Days before Monday's incident saw the Governor land into another major controversy. While Friday's incident seemed like a tipping point, Monday's showdown left no stone unturned.
The Governor, during an interaction with participants of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on January 6, implied that the name Tamil Nadu (Tamil country) was creating an impression in the minds of the people here that they are unique from others in India, as they like to call themselves Dravidians.
“Tamizhagam will be more appropriate than Tamil Nadu,” Ravi was quoted as saying.
In literal terms, Tamizhagam refers to the 'Home of Tamils' while Tamil Nadu means 'Land of Tamils'. While the difference may seem minute, the two terms are extremely sensitive in a state that takes its Tamil pride and its fight for the state name extremely seriously.
The remark prompted the DMK to call him a BJP functionary with leaders Kanimozhi and Uddhayanidhi calling out the reason for picking 'Tamil Nadu'.
“The name Tamil Nadu is the identity of our language, culture, politics, and life. That is why the DMK government led by C N Annadurai drafted a resolution renaming (Madras state as) Tamil Nadu. It will always be Tamil Nadu,” Kanimozhi said.
Ravi has been accused of toeing BJP's line as the saffron party felt the literal translation of the state name could lead to secessionist tendencies among its people.
Removal of state symbol from Pongal invitation
Even as people were processing the storm that erupted in the state Assembly, Ravi fired another salvo at the DMK government on Tuesday, replacing the state government’s emblem with that of the Union Government in invitations sent out for Pongal celebrations at the Raj Bhavan.
The Tamil invitations, sent out to VVIPs and other dignitaries, also address Ravi as “Tamizhaga Aalunar” (Governor) instead of the standard “Tamil Nadu Aalunar.” However, the English version calls him the Tamil Nadu Governor.
The change in parlance in Tamil and skipping the state emblem is a significant development as the invitations sent out to dignitaries in 2022 for a tea party on the occasion of Tamil New Year’s Day referred to Ravi as Tamil Nadu Aalunar (Governor). It also has the state symbol which is the gopuram (tower) of Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur.
'Ondriya Arasu'
Another point of difference which is threatening to turn into a major controversy between the DMK Government and the Governor is the use of the term 'Ondriya Arasu'.
Governor R N Ravi said the term Union Government was “absolutely fine” and can be used without any fear, but took objection to its Tamil translation of Ondriya Arasu, which he said, was “politically overloaded” and was “disrespectful.”
Ondriya Arasu is a term coined by the DMK dispensation in Tamil Nadu after M K Stalin took over as Chief Minister in May 2021 to refer to the Union Government.
“The problem comes in Tamil Nadu because of the Tamil translation which is Ondriya Arasu. Now, we know Ondriya (Union) is a structure or hierarchy which is below the district and below the sub-division. Then it is a political game of playing it down,” Ravi said.
Delay in the passage of bills
The governor vs government clash that seemed to reach its crescendo on Monday has culminated through a series of events. The first stand-off between the DMK and the Governor began after Ravi sent back the NEET bill to the state Assembly – it was swiftly returned to his office within a week after reenacting it in the House.
The DMK government had been miffed with the Governor for the delay in assent to eight bills, including the one that seeks to provide an exemption from NEET for students from the state, passed by the 16th Assembly.
DMK has accused the Governor of not giving his assent or forwarding to the President bills such as reducing the tenure of elected members of cooperative societies from five to three years and those relating to the functioning of state-funded universities, thereby “obstructing” the functioning of an elected government.
In fact, Finance Minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan had, in April said in all, 19 bills, are pending before the Governor or the Union Government and wondered whether the Centre was putting “our efforts on hold just because they cannot do better than us.”
(Compiled with inputs from ETB Sivapriyan)