Governor R N Ravi was at the centre of a raging row on Friday with political parties and people alike vehemently criticizing his reported statement that it would be appropriate to call the state as Tamizhagam rather than Tamil Nadu.
Twitter users trended #TamilNadu for the whole of Friday even as several people joined the campaign and accused the Governor of “speaking against the will of the people of the state.” Except BJP, all political parties, including AIADMK, said the state will always remain as Tamil Nadu and will never agree for a change in the nomenclature.
The governor, during an interaction with participants of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, 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 by the local media. At the same event, Ravi is also believed to have said Tamil Nadu will take a completely different stand from that of rest of the state on several issues, while stressing that people here believe they are Dravidians and not “part of Bharat.”
Though this is the first time that a Governor is openly speaking about the issue, the state BJP had in the past argued that the name Tamil Nadu was creating a “wrong impression” of a country within a country and that it should be renamed as Tamizhagam.
Ravi’s remarks have created a massive row with DMK leaders Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Udhayanidhi Stalin, Sports Minister in Chief Minister M K Stalin’s cabinet, asserting that the state would always be called 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.
In his reaction, Udhayanidhi said Tamil Nadu is an “unique identity” of the geographical-linguistic-political-cultural landscape of Tamil. “Anna, who founded the DMK, gave this name after a long battle. Chief Minister Stalin, who follows the footsteps of Anna and M Karunanidhi, will protect the identity,” he said.
AIADMK organising secretary D Jayakumar also expressed similar sentiments saying his party will always protect the unique identity that Tamils and Tamil Nadu possess. “Our party has Anna’s name in it, and we follow Anna. So, it is Tamil Nadu, for us, always,” he said.
The issue also had resonance in the tinsel world with ace cinematographer P C Sreeram criticizing the Governor for “speaking and behaving like a politician.”
Political parties also asked the Governor to read history before commenting on sensitive issues. They said the demand to rename the then Madras state first surfaced in the 1950s after states were reorganized on linguistic basis and was vociferously raised after a Congressman from Virudhunagar, Sankaralinganar, died in October 1956. He died after fasting for three months demanding renaming of the Madras state.
The then fledgling DMK, which was occupying the opposition benches, moved a resolution in the Assembly on May 7, 1957, demanding that Madras be renamed as Tamil Nadu. However, the resolution was defeated as only 42 members voted in favour with the then Chief Minister K Kamaraj opposing the move and his Congress MLAs voting against it.
Despite several attempts by DMK and other parties, the resolution could not be passed in the Assembly due to Congress’ steadfast opposition to renaming of the Madras state. But the DMK’s emphatic victory in 1967 overthrowing the Congress, made Tamil Nadu a reality.
Annadurai moved a resolution in the assembly on July 18, 1967, proposing renaming of Madras state as Tamil Nadu. “Tamil Nadu is a state which is part of India. It is not an independent country because of the name,” Annadurai had told the Assembly, before uttering Tamil Nadu thrice on the floor of the House.
The resolution was passed, and Tamil Nadu came into being on January 14, 1968.