Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi
Credit: PTI photo
Chennai: Stoking yet another controversy, Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi has termed secularism as a “European concept” which is alien to India, while blaming the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for “inserting” the word into the Preamble of the Constitution during the 1975 Emergency to “appease certain sections” of the society.
Addressing an event in Kanyakumari, Ravi said the Opposition parties have committed a “lot of frauds” on the people of India, one of them is the “wrong interpretation” of the word secularism.
“Secularism is a European concept, not an Indian concept. We don’t need such a concept in India. It originated from Europe because of the fight between the Church and the king. How can India be away from dharma? India doesn’t need Secularism,” Ravi said on Sunday.
This is not the first time that Ravi has made such controversial comments on secularism and religion. The Governor, who has a penchant for stoking rows, had advocated a name change for Tamil Nadu to Tamizhagam and had even avoided the emblem of the state government in invitations sent out to the Pongal event in 2023.
Ravi continued to slam the Congress and singled out Indira Gandhi for “inserting” the word Secularism into the Indian Constitution’s Preamble in 1976, 26 years after it was adopted.
“The original Preamble didn’t have the word secular. It was added during the Emergency by an insecure Prime Minister who wanted to appease certain sections of people,” the Governor added.
Congress was quick to condemn Ravi’s statement, terming it as “irresponsible” coming from a person holding a high Constitutional post.
“Is the Governor trying to undermine the fundamental principles of our Constitution? Is he and people supporting him trying to impose a single principle of ‘dharma’ among the pluralistic faiths of India? This is against our struggle for Independence,” party MP Manickam Tagore said.
“Secularism is vital to protect India as a country where all religions live in harmony. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure India remains a secular country,” Tagore added.