TN Governor Ravi Criticized ‘Tamil Exceptionalism,’ Causes News Conflict with the DMK Government

Tensions with the DMK administration were rekindled after Governor R N Ravi sharply criticized Tamil Nadu's leadership for allegedly ignoring the Tamil language and culture.

According to Governor R N Ravi, Tamil Nadu politics is mainly Tamil "exceptionalism," which maintains that Tamil is "distinct" from other languages, rather than regionalism. In his capacity as governor of Tamil Nadu, Ravi has frequently clashed with M K Stalin's DMK administration.

The governor said that Tamil exceptionalism frequently manifests as animosity toward other languages, not just Hindi but also other Dravidian languages like Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Also, he claimed that Tamil politicians have not done anything to advance Tamil culture or language, indicating that they do not genuinely embrace the language.

He said in a TV interview that the number of Tamil learners is sharply declining as more kids switch from Tamil-medium to English-medium school every year. He emphasized that more than 11 lakh palm-leaf manuscripts are deteriorating at the state archive with no funding for preservation and that the Tamil Nadu government has set aside "zero budget for research" in Tamil language and culture.

The Governor brought up the controversy surrounding the October 2024 Doordarshan performance, in which Tamil Thai Vazhthu was performed sans the word "Dravida." He said that he was merely a guest and that the organizers made the error, but he nonetheless apologized, saying that the DMK-led administration had caused an unneeded problem. He added that he is a better singer of the hymn than many people who comment on Tamil.

Then he brought up another bone of contention: his choice to leave the Assembly's inaugural meeting in January rather than give the traditional speech. He highlighted the continuous conflicts between his office and the state government by calling the action a "painful decision."

The governor added that he has a constitutional obligation to protect the Constitution and guarantee respect for the national anthem and that he went to the Assembly to make his stance rather than to leave. Ravi objected to the lack of the anthem at the beginning of the session, pointing out that it is customary for gatherings where a governor or president attends to start and conclude with it.