Governor RN Ravi has stated that in Tamil Nadu, the legacy of nationalist poet and freedom fighter Subramania Bharathi is being downplayed by a chauvinistic ecosystem that seeks to erase his contributions through active indifference and passive hostility.
Addressing a felicitation function for Padma Shri awardee Seeni Viswanathan, who compiled the works of the great poet Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, Governor Ravi made a scathing attack without naming any political party. He criticised those who claim to uphold the Tamil language and culture while making no real contribution, labelling their statements as “hollow rhetoric.” He asserted that true reverence lies in preserving and promoting Tamil’s rich literary heritage.
He praised Seeni Viswanathan for being conferred the Padma Shri award for his work in compiling Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar’s literary works in chronological order at a felicitation ceremony held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai, on 18th February. In his speech, Governor Ravi felicitated Seeni Viswanathan, who has been nominated for the Padma Awards 2025. His 23-volume research on Bharathiar has been instrumental in preserving Mahakavi’s works. The Governor remarked, “On behalf of Tamil Nadu, I thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for conferring the Padma Shri, recognising Seeni Viswanathan’s immense contribution to Tamil literature and national heritage.”
Governor Ravi felicitated Thiru Seeni Vishwanathan for his life long pursuit of exploring and researching the life and works of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar, a great son of Maa Bharati who dedicated his life for the freedom of India and enriching Tamil language, literature and… pic.twitter.com/SRT9FGwIpO
— LOK BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@lokbhavan_tn) February 18, 2025
Governor Ravi highlighted Mahakavi Bharathiar’s pivotal role as a fearless freedom fighter, poet, and cultural icon, who fiercely championed India’s independence, Tamil identity, and linguistic pride. He recalled how Bharathiar strongly countered J.C. Rollo, then Principal of Pachaiyappa’s College, who sought to impose English by dismissing Tamil as a “vernacular” and unfit for science and philosophy. Bharathiar’s intellectual rebuttal dismantled this colonial mindset, reaffirming Tamil’s richness and scholarly depth.
The Hon’ble Governor stated, “Mahakavi Bharathiar lives in the hearts of the people, yet his legacy is being undermined by a chauvinistic ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, which seeks to erase his contributions through active indifference and passive hostility.” He pointed out that this ecosystem feels insecure discussing Bharathiar because he envisioned an inclusive Bharat, spoke of the harmony between Kashi and Kanchi, and championed the Vedas—ideas that contradict the divisive narrative promoted by the same ecosystem.
Lamenting the absence of dedicated efforts on Bharathiar in state universities, the Governor questioned why a Bharathiar Chair could be established at Banaras Hindu University under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, but no such initiatives exist in Tamil Nadu. He mentioned that despite vice-chancellors expressing willingness to take up such initiatives, they face severe pressure and threats.
Criticising the hollow rhetoric of those who claim to uphold Tamil language and cultural pride without making genuine contributions, the Governor asserted that true reverence lies in preserving and promoting Tamil’s rich literary heritage. Given this situation, he called upon society to take ownership of Bharathiar’s legacy, ensuring that his ideals remain a guiding force for future generations.
On Raj Bhavan’s initiatives, he mentioned that a statue of the national poet had been installed, a state-level essay competition was conducted, and the Durbar Hall was renamed Bharathiar Mandapam under the leadership of President Droupadi Murmu. Reaffirming that Bharathiar belonged to all of Bharat, he stressed the importance of translating his works into other Indian languages.
தமிழ் தாத்தா உ.வே.சுவாமிநாத ஐயர் அவர்களின் பிறந்த தினம் இன்று. 🙏🏻🪷❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/DU3lUVPgLT
— 🪷 MЄЄƝƛ ƖƳЄƦ 🪷 (@Maha_Periyavaa) February 19, 2025
Leaders also lauded the contributions of the great Tamil scholar of yesteryears, U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, popularly known as U. Ve. Sa, on the occasion of his 171st birth anniversary. Dr U. Ve. Sa was instrumental in collecting and printing Tamil literary treasures, travelling on foot to gather palm-leaf manuscripts, thereby preserving ancient literary works.
TN Governor Ravi, in a post on X, said:
“Humble tributes to ‘Tamil Thatha’ U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer on his birth anniversary. His relentless efforts revived ancient Tamil literature from the Sangam era onwards, restoring its glory and ensuring its timeless wisdom reaches future generations. By safeguarding Tamil’s literary and cultural heritage, he deepened society’s connection to its linguistic and civilisational roots, strengthening Bharat’s cultural and spiritual continuum. The nation remains eternally grateful for his monumental contributions in preserving this priceless legacy, inspiring us to uphold and celebrate it with pride and purpose.”
Humble tributes to ‘Tamil Thatha’ U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer on his birth anniversary. His relentless efforts revived ancient Tamil literature from the Sangam era onward, restoring its glory and ensuring its timeless wisdom reaches future generations. By safeguarding Tamil’s literary… pic.twitter.com/jVElIR59GL
— LOK BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@lokbhavan_tn) February 19, 2025
Political Controversy Over the Linguistic Debate
A war of words has erupted between the DMK, its allies, AIADMK, NTK, NVK, and the BJP over the lingua franca issue. The DMK and its allies continue their time-tested rhetoric of Hindi opposition, alleging that Tamil Nadu is being penalised for rejecting the National Education Policy (NEP), which, according to them, imposes Hindi by replacing Tamil.
Countering these claims, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai stated: “The very idea behind the two-language policy of the Tamil Nadu government is to push students towards private schools (mostly CBSE-pattern schools owned by politicians). There is a Rs 30,000 crore market for private CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu, and the DMK’s insistence on the two-language policy serves their vested interests.”
He also criticised actor Joseph Vijay, founder of TVK, for opposing the three-language formula while his own father runs a CBSE school that follows the same system.
Vijay Vidyashram CBSE school land being leased & owner of that land is Actor Vijay.
Interestingly, Hindi is taught in this Vijay Vidyashram to the students, but Vijay is screaming in public that Hindi should not be taught in schools.
Looks like Vijay doesn't want government… pic.twitter.com/UhkOnAlydL
— Truth Alone 🇮🇳 (@TruthAlone2) February 18, 2025
Similarly, critics pointed out that in Sunshine Schools, owned by CM Stalin’s daughter, Tamil is not taught, and the three-language formula is followed. Allegedly, students speaking Tamil in classrooms are fined. Critics argue, “This is how successive Dravidian parties ‘develop’ Tamil. In the Class 10 and Plus Two board exams, thousands of students fail the Tamil language paper—proof enough of their so-called love for Tamil.”
Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin claimed: “Hindi has destroyed the local languages of northern states such as Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, and other Bihari languages, making Hindi the dominant language. The same will happen in Tamil Nadu if Hindi is imposed. The Go Back Modi protests will turn into Get Out Modi protests.”
Dr Praveen Kumar, in a post, countered: “The DMK government should stop Urdu imposition before even dreaming of stopping Hindi! Whether you like it or not, Hindi is the link language that bridges India, and it must reach every corner of the country.”
Which is more important – Hindi or Urdu?
According to the last Census conducted during the Congress regime in 2011, Hindi is the most spoken in India – by 52.83 crores and the number of Urdu speakers is just 5.07 crores which is less than 10%!
So, which language is more… pic.twitter.com/03EIgbxElV
— Dr. Praveen Vijaykumar (@DrPraveenwrites) February 18, 2025
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, on 15th February, categorically stated that funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme would not be released for Tamil Nadu unless the state government accepted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in its entirety.
TN School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, speaking to reporters at Tiruchy airport, said that the Union government should not play politics with education and demanded that the pending Samagra Shiksha funds of Rs 2,158 crore be released immediately.
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, after the introduction of the NEP, students are now learning Tamil—debunking the DMK’s claim that Tamil will die if Hindi is taught or if the three-language formula is implemented.
தமிழ் படிக்கும் உ.பி மாணவர்கள் #neweducationpolicy #centralgovt #tamil #uttarpradesh #tngovt #mkstalin
stay informed with the latest news through Chanakyaa via https://t.co/3S6c41KzGi pic.twitter.com/C77Np4sSG2
— சாணக்யா (@ChanakyaaTv) February 17, 2025
Whenever the DMK government faces setbacks, failures, or severe criticism, it raises the language issue to divert attention from the real problems.
