Governor Ravi Says Tamil Nadu’s Politics Reflect ‘Tamil Exceptionalism’, Not Regionalism

Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi has said that the state’s politics are shaped not by regionalism but by what he described as “Tamil exceptionalism”, the belief that Tamil is “distinct” from other languages. In a television interview, he noted that this view has repeatedly put him at odds with the DMK government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.

He argued that this sense of exceptionalism often comes with hostility toward other languages. “This Tamil exceptionalism is articulated by hatred against other languages, even those that belong to Dravidian family like Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. It is not just Hindi,” he said.

Ravi criticised Tamil political leaders for not doing enough to support the language they claim to champion. He pointed out that “every year, students are moving away from Tamil medium to English medium” and that the number studying in Tamil is “declining steadily and steeply”. He added that the state has provided “zero budget for research” in Tamil language and culture.

He drew attention to more than 11 lakh palm-leaf manuscripts kept in the state archive, saying they were “rotting” without any funds for preservation. “No money is allotted for their preservation,” he said.

Speaking about the controversy at a Doordarshan event in October 2024, where “Tamil Thai Vazhthu” was sung without the word “Dravida”, Ravi said the government overreacted. He maintained that he was only a guest and that the organisers made an error but apologised. “In fact, I can sing Tamil Thai Vazhthu much better than many people who talk about Tamil,” he remarked.

Ravi also discussed his decision to walk out of the Assembly’s first session in January instead of delivering the traditional Governor’s Address. He described it as a “painful decision”, explaining that he objected to the national anthem not being played at the start. “I have a constitutional obligation to defend the Constitution and Article 51A of the Constitution that says the national anthem must be respected,” he said.

He added that events attended by a Governor or President always begin and end with the national anthem, and that this protocol had been ignored.

During the interview, Ravi also spoke about Jammu and Kashmir, where he served for many years as an intelligence officer, and about the North East. Before his posting in Tamil Nadu, he served as the Governor of Nagaland and also held additional charge of Meghalaya.

With PTI inputs