CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Monday condemned Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s remarks on ‘secularism‘, calling it a ‘shame” that such a person has been appointed as the governor of an important state like Tamil Nadu.
Attacking RN Ravi further, she said that it is the “RSS understanding,” and tomorrow he might say that the Constitution is also a “foreign concept.”
“This governor has taken oath in the name of Constitution I presume…secularism is very much part of our Constitution…separation of religion from politics is very much part of our Constitution…tomorrow he will say the Constitution of India itself is a foreign concept, this is what the RSS understanding is..it is a shame that such person has been appointed as governor of such an important state like Tamil Nadu,” she told ANI.
A row has erupted after Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Monday said that secularism is a “European concept” that “doesn’t belong to India.”
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi while addressing the people in a convocation of Hindu Dharma Vidya Peetham at Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari, said “Lot of frauds have been committed to the people of this country, and one of them is that they have been given a wrong interpretation of secularism. What does secularism mean!? Secularism is a European concept; secularism is not a Bhartiya concept.”
He also stated that there is “no need of secularism in India” and the concept should remain in Europe.
“In Europe, secularism came because there was a fight between the church and the king, How can India be away from “Dharma”? Secularism is a European concept, and let it be there only. In India, there is no need for secularism,” he said.
Earlier today, Congress leader P Chidambaram criticized the Tamil Nadu governor and questioned whether the same logic should apply to federalism, one person one vote, and democracy, all of which also originated in Europe.
In a post on X, Chidambaram stated, “Having draped Tiruvalluvar with a saffron robe, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has now discovered that secularism was an European concept and it has no place in India. He is not correct, but assume he is right. Federalism was also an European concept. Shall we declare that Federalism has no place in India?”
“One person, one vote was also an European concept. Shall we declare that some people will have no right to vote? Democracy was also an European concept not known to India that was ruled by maharajahs and rajas. Shall we declare that democracy will be jettisoned in this country? Constitutional functionaries, especially those who hold titular positions, should take a vow of silence,” he added in the post.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the ruling party in Tamil Nadu — which often remains at loggrheads with Governor Ravi — has condemned the remarks and asked RN Ravi to read the Constitution.
“Secularism is the most needed concept in India, not in Europe. Particularly the Governor, he had not gone through the Constitution of India. Article 25 says that there should be a conscious freedom of religion that he doesn’t know…He should go and read the constitution fully…22 languages are listed in our constitution. Hindi is a language which is spoken by a few states. The remaining states speak other languages…The problem with the BJP is that they neither know India, nor the Constitution…They don’t know anything. That is why they could not even form a government on their own,” DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja also took on the governor, saying that secularism was needed to keep religion and politics separate, citing that BR Ambedkar also rejected a “theocratic concept.”
“I strongly deplore the statement made by RN Ravi. What does he know about secularism? What does he know about India? He is a governor…he must abide by the Constitution. The Constitution of India defines India as secular democratic republic…Dr BR Ambedkar emphatically rejected theocratic concept…Ambedkar went to the extent of saying, if at all Hindu Rashtra becomes a fact, that will be a calamity for the nation…secularism means keeping religion and politics separate…don’t bring Gods for electoral purposes,” D Raja said.
Notably, this is not the first time the Tamil Nadu Governor has made such remarks. Last year, he said that the people who want to break this country have given a distorted interpretation of secularism.
“Our Constitution is not against ‘dharma’ …it is the people who want to break this country, they have given a distorted interpretation of secularism. We have to understand the true meaning of secularism in our constitution…. those talking about eradicating Hinduism have a hidden agenda to break this country in collaboration with hostile foreign powers. They will not succeed as Bharat has inherent strength,” the Tamil Governor had said.
