The latest eruption of a needless controversy over ‘Hindi Month’ celebration at Doordarshan office in Chennai led to sabre-rattling between Governor R.N. Ravi and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, both holding constitutional posts. True, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing such showdowns ever since the incumbent for the gubernatorial position took charge three years ago. But the latest duel took an ugly turn with Stalin invoking an inane trope referring to an imagined cultural divide, Aryan vs Dravidian, and Ravi spotting racism in it and going to town with that.
While the Hindi Month has been an annual feature in all Union Government establishments, including nationalised banks and insurance companies, for many years, why it suddenly became a bone of contention last Friday is a mystery. Then, as the celebration began, another controversy descended from the stage as singers assigned to render the Tamil anthem, Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, missed out a line – Thekkanamum Athir Sirantha Dravida Nal Thirunadum (‘The Great Dravidian Land in the South’) — giving an opportunity to the Chief Minister to revive the Aryan vs Dravidian shibboleth.
Though the debate over who is an Aryan and who is a Dravidian has not been settled, with most people moving ahead in life as Indians, the name-calling of the Governor was misplaced for it was a faux pas by the singers at an event organised by national telecaster Doordarshan. The Governor had been seen singing the lines of the anthem, Neeraarum kadaludutha nilamadandhai… on many previous occasions, which he also mentioned in his retort. So when he had never been inimical to the State anthem, blaming the goof up on him was just specious.
But then, the spat held the mirror to the grim political reality in the State, where the Governor and the Government are at loggerheads perpetually, prompting such squabbles that pose a threat to democracy. So it is for the Union Government to crack the whip and recall the Governor, who has already lived for five years in Raj Bhavans in Nagaland and Tamil Nadu.
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