In this episode of The Editorial, Mr. Sujit Nair discusses the speech delivered by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi during Hindi Month celebrations. Governor Ravi's speech has sparked a controversy, leading CM MK Stalin to urge the Centre to recall him. The state government has also accused RN Ravi of insulting the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu.
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[00:00:00] Namaskar, welcome to another episode of editorial. Mr. RN Ravi will go into the history books. I think he will go into the history books. He will be part of Indian history because he, to my mind, in my opinion, will be known as the single largest factor that degenerated the constitutional position of a governor in our independent country.
[00:00:30] India. I will try and tell you why I think what I think. Let's get right into the show.
[00:00:41] You see, this Governor RN Ravi was celebrating Hindi Divas. He started off by saying that, you know, I was actually very happily surprised. I guess meant to say pleasantly surprised that he saw a lot of youngsters in Tamil Nadu speak Hindi.
[00:01:00] And he says that they could speak better Hindi than Mr. RN Ravi himself. Now, well, that's not very difficult because I don't think RN Ravi is a good orator. So most of the people in this country can speak better than him.
[00:01:11] But that being said, why I wonder, does he think that speaking Hindi is some great achievement or speaking Hindi by a Tamilian is something that he is so proud of? What? Why?
[00:01:29] Why? Let's get into this speech Mr. RN Ravi made. You see, this Governor RN Ravi says that the British used to call Indian languages vernacular.
[00:01:46] He says, vernacular means, you know what? Vernacular means language of slave. Wrong.
[00:01:53] All of you all have Google at home. Please check the meaning of vernacular.
[00:01:57] Vernacular is the language of ordinary people. Means, vernacular is the language of the masses.
[00:02:05] The language that the masses speaks is vernacular. In my state, the vernacular language is Marathi.
[00:02:14] Because the mass in Maharashtra speaks Marathi. In Kerala, the vernacular language is Malayalam.
[00:02:20] Because the mass speaks Malayalam. In Tamil Nadu, the vernacular language therefore will be Tamil.
[00:02:26] Because the mass speaks Tamil.
[00:02:30] This is misinterpretation of facts.
[00:02:33] The word slave, he actually, if you go and check the history, that too you can check on your Google.
[00:02:39] It comes from a Latin word. Varna. Varna means slave.
[00:02:43] Or master's slave. That is what Varna means.
[00:02:47] In Latin. And he is using that for an English word, vernacular.
[00:02:51] So, what does Varna mean in Sanskrit?
[00:02:55] Varna means caste.
[00:02:58] So, what does vernacular mean if you were to look, stick a Sanskrit word to it?
[00:03:03] Is that how you interpret sentences?
[00:03:06] How you interpret words?
[00:03:08] To just prove your point?
[00:03:11] You know, he quoted Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati.
[00:03:15] Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati had told the Britishers that, you know, Tamil is the language of science and philosophy.
[00:03:21] He had told this to the British.
[00:03:23] I am sure if R.N. Ravi was present then, he would have told us to R.N. Ravi also.
[00:03:28] Don't impose Hindi on us.
[00:03:31] Because Tamil is good enough for us.
[00:03:33] Which is what he told British.
[00:03:34] I am sure he would have told R.N. Ravi the same.
[00:03:37] He would have made no difference.
[00:03:39] If he is quoting Subramanya Bharati, then let me tell you, this is what Subramanya Bharati actually said.
[00:03:45] That Tamil is a language good enough for philosophy and science.
[00:03:53] R.N. Ravi talks about Tamilians learning Hindi so that they can go all over the country and they can work and prosper all over the country.
[00:04:01] Why doesn't a person from Uttar Pradesh or he, he is from B.R.
[00:04:05] Why doesn't he learn Tamil?
[00:04:07] Why doesn't he ask B.R.E.s to learn Tamil?
[00:04:10] You tell me, you find more Tamilians going to B.R. or more B.R.E. coming to Tamil?
[00:04:16] Think logically and let me know.
[00:04:18] So what are you talking about?
[00:04:19] Why are you imposing Hindi?
[00:04:22] Why are you imposing Hindi?
[00:04:24] And that too using flivorous, flivorous excuses to impose Hindi.
[00:04:31] The state government.
[00:04:32] Governor is who?
[00:04:33] Head of the state.
[00:04:34] Governor is the head of the state.
[00:04:36] You know what a governor calls?
[00:04:37] He calls the state government, my government.
[00:04:40] That is how a governor addresses a state government constitutionally.
[00:04:44] But that is how generally it is done.
[00:04:47] Constitutionally, a governor says, my government, the state government, my government does this.
[00:04:52] My government did that.
[00:04:53] My government will do this.
[00:04:54] He represents the government.
[00:04:56] This governor says that, what is your state government doing for Tamil?
[00:05:01] What is your state government doing for Tamil?
[00:05:03] Look at Modiji.
[00:05:05] He did so many other things.
[00:05:06] He went to different universities and promoted Tamil.
[00:05:10] You are a political person or you are a governor of a state?
[00:05:15] You are a political person.
[00:05:16] You have taken oath on the constitution of this country.
[00:05:20] The most important book for us Indians.
[00:05:24] You have taken oath.
[00:05:26] And this is what you are talking about?
[00:05:27] What logic?
[00:05:29] What logic?
[00:05:32] The most dangerous factor that currently is being promoted and promoted by people like R and Ravi.
[00:05:41] The most dangerous thing.
[00:05:43] And that is constantly telling Tamilians that this is a separatist attitude.
[00:05:49] This is a separatist attitude.
[00:05:50] You are being different from the country.
[00:05:52] You are being made to look different from the country.
[00:05:54] You are being made to look different from the nation.
[00:05:56] You are inducing that thought to a state which is absolutely integral part of this country.
[00:06:02] I come from south.
[00:06:03] I have been to Tamil Nadu and I have been to Tamil Nadu one lakh times.
[00:06:07] They are as Indians as any Indians in this country.
[00:06:12] You are forcing.
[00:06:13] You are forcing this thought of separatist, separatist, separatist.
[00:06:17] And that is one of the most dangerous thoughts that you are putting on a state.
[00:06:23] Unfortunately, the government is yours.
[00:06:25] The power is yours.
[00:06:26] All the intelligence agencies are yours.
[00:06:28] Everything is yours.
[00:06:29] Nobody is going to question you.
[00:06:30] Nobody is going to analyze what you are trying to do.
[00:06:32] But the fact remains that I tell the people of this country, stop calling South Indians a separatist country or stop calling Tamil a separatist thought.
[00:06:41] Stop calling it.
[00:06:43] There is no separatist thought in Tamil Nadu.
[00:06:45] Tamil Nadu is integral part of this country.
[00:06:48] Every Tamilian is integral part of this country.
[00:06:50] Every Tamilian belongs to India and India belongs to him or her.
[00:06:55] This is a fact.
[00:06:57] And I tell you with absolute confidence because I travel to Tamil Nadu.
[00:07:04] This is absolute fact.
[00:07:06] And the more constitutional people like governor of the state saying that this is, you know, they are trying to divide.
[00:07:13] They are trying to create separatist attitude.
[00:07:15] What are you trying to do?
[00:07:17] Infuse that thought?
[00:07:21] The last point.
[00:07:23] Let me analyze this entire concept of imposing Hindi or promoting Hindi directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, emphatically or in a light fashion.
[00:07:38] The fact remains that imposition of Hindi is part of the Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan idea.
[00:07:47] Where there is Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan, Bharatiya Janata party works.
[00:07:53] They get power.
[00:07:55] They get vote.
[00:07:57] They get support.
[00:07:58] And as Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan fails.
[00:08:04] Bharatiya Janata party loses that clout.
[00:08:07] There are more Sikhs in Punjab.
[00:08:10] Bharatiya Janata party will never get seats.
[00:08:13] Much seats in Punjab.
[00:08:15] There are more Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir.
[00:08:18] Especially in Kashmir.
[00:08:20] Bharatiya Janata party will not make a mark there.
[00:08:22] There are more Tamil speaking people and proud Tamil speaking people in Tamil Nadu.
[00:08:29] Bharatiya Janata party will not score there.
[00:08:33] Because that combination doesn't fit.
[00:08:35] Tamil Nadu has a lot of Hindus.
[00:08:37] They have hardly 6%, 7% minorities.
[00:08:40] They are a Hindu dominated state.
[00:08:42] But the fact is the Hindi is missing there.
[00:08:45] That is where the infusion of Hindi is.
[00:08:46] So it is not a national idea and all that.
[00:08:49] This is a very political idea.
[00:08:51] And the governor who is supposed to be an apolitical figure is playing this particular strategy to ensure that Hindi is infused into Tamil Nadu.
[00:09:03] By calling them separatist or people who do not live separatist and saying that they are not trying to be part of this country.
[00:09:11] They are trying to be different.
[00:09:12] All of these dangerous words, dangerous thoughts, dangerous concepts are put into that state by their own governor.
[00:09:21] Their own governor is to ensure that they infuse Hindi.
[00:09:25] They infuse Hindi so that the concept of Hindi, Hindu which already exists in Tamil Nadu and Hindustan which also exists in Tamil Nadu.
[00:09:35] This Hindi part has to be infused so that the trilogy is complete and therefore Bharatiya Janata party can make its mark.
[00:09:45] And let me tell you, you see, unlike what is given to one like what is made to believe Tamil Nadu, a lot of people speak Hindi.
[00:09:57] A lot of people speak Hindi.
[00:10:00] They have no aversive, they are not aversive to Hindi and all that.
[00:10:03] They are definitely not aversive to Hindi.
[00:10:06] The point is you are forcing it on them.
[00:10:10] The point is you are arm twisting them to say it.
[00:10:14] The point is that you are saying, no, Hindi is the national language, the ultimate language.
[00:10:19] Why?
[00:10:20] Why?
[00:10:23] That is why the resistance.
[00:10:26] When you push something, you get pushed back.
[00:10:31] And next, I repeat this.
[00:10:33] At the cost of repeating, I repeat this.
[00:10:35] This concept of saying that it is, you know, it is being separate.
[00:10:39] It is a separatist attitude.
[00:10:40] It is a, it is, it is dividing the nation.
[00:10:43] It is trying to make Tamil separate.
[00:10:45] This thing that is being told, this thing that is constantly being told, especially by this governor.
[00:10:51] This thing that is constantly being told is going to be dangerous for this country.
[00:10:56] Because this, I am willing to stick my neck out because this concerns my country.
[00:11:00] And I tell you, this man saying this about Tamil lad and people of Tamil lad is dangerous for this country and dangerous for Tamil lad.
[00:11:09] And I as an Indian will not just sit here and just listen to it.
[00:11:14] This is the point I wanted to make till I see you next time.
[00:11:16] That's tomorrow at 10.
[00:11:17] Namaskar.
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