Early strains have appeared in the relationship between Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and the M.K. Stalin-led DMK government. Mr. Ravi has invited the ire of the ruling party for seemingly advocating policies that are in conflict with popular political ideology in the Dravidian heartland. In his Republic Day address, Mr. Ravi subtly pushed for a three-language policy. “While it is important that [the] Tamil language is given wider spread in the rest of the country, it is also important that our school students learn other Indian languages like students in other States. Depriving our students of knowledge of other Indian languages is unfair to all,” he contended. This came as a surprise since in Tamil Nadu, any attempt to tinker with the time-tested two-language formula is akin to treading on a landmine. As recently as June 2019, a clause recommending mandatory Hindi teaching in schools was dropped from the Draft National Education Policy (NEP) following a backlash, primarily from Tamil Nadu.
The State government’s first counter to Mr. Ravi was diplomatic and through the official channel. The Minister for Tamil Official Language and Culture, Thangam Thennarasu, responded, “Those who are aware of the history of protests for language in Tamil Nadu would realise that ‘other Indian languages’ is only another terminology for pushing Hindi.” He argued that the two-language policy has not prevented students from acquiring educational qualifications or holding major positions. However, this was followed by a sharp attack in the DMK’s mouthpiece, Murasoli, which not only questioned Mr. Ravi’s performance in his previous gubernatorial assignment in Nagaland but also conveyed to the former IPS officer that politics is a different ball game. “He [Mr. Ravi] is not a politician who experienced the climate of politics before becoming a Governor. He was a police officer who was appointed Governor after his retirement. The police department may require methods of threat and intimidation, and they may yield results there. But they will be of no use in politics...,” the article with the byline Silandhi, usually penned by a member of the DMK first family, said.
The government and the DMK were also upset with Mr. Ravi for seemingly backing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), while not forwarding for presidential assent a Bill seeking to dispense with the NEET in Tamil Nadu. MPs from Tamil Nadu protested against Mr. Ravi’s inaction on this in the joint sitting of Parliament on Monday.
This was not the first time Mr. Ravi had spoken on these lines, especially on matters relating to education, a Concurrent List subject, where the State government differs with the Central government. While Mr. Stalin declared that Tamil Nadu will not implement the NEP, Mr. Ravi hailed it as a revolutionary document that is inevitable for the higher education system in a dynamic scenario. Going a step further, at the convocation of Bharathidasan University, a State-run institution, he sought to link the NEP’s objectives with the “new India” dreams of iconic Tamil poets Subramania Bharathi and Bharathidasan.
Relations between Raj Bhavan and the Secretariat thrive on understanding and mutual respect. Mr. Ravi’s intentions in advocating an alternative policy could perhaps be well meaning, but the popular view is such matters are best left to an elected government. At the same time, there is a perception that Mr. Stalin, known for his amiable politics, must ensure that any differing viewpoint is tackled diplomatically, lest the issue escalates into a full-blown cold war.
Unfriendly relations between a head of state and a head of an elected government can have unsavoury consequences as the current developments in West Bengal show.
sureshkumar.d@thehindu.co.in
