Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi’s interview with TOI: ‘DMK’s ideology parochial, dead’ | Chennai News – Times of India
Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi pulls no punches when he talks about the role of the governor and his own experience in the state in dealing with the DMK government. Excerpts from an interview to Jaya Menon
Were you right in walking out before the national anthem was played after the governor’s address in January this year? You left out important leaders’ names too.
Before I addressed the assembly in the year 2022 for the first time, I was told that they don’t play the national anthem in the assembly. Before I addressed, I insisted that the national anthem must be played. And the national anthem must be played both at the arrival and departure of the governor and the Thamizh Thai Vazhthu too. Despite my insistence, they did not play the national anthem at the beginning though they played at the time of departure. This time, when the speaker came to invite me, formally, I again requested him. In Parliament, in all assemblies, the national anthem is respected. After orally requesting him, I told him I am also sending him a letter. I sent him a letter, and to the chief minister as well. They did not play the national anthem.
As for the speech that the state prepares, it is usually on the government policies and programmes. That is how it should be, and the governor is to read it out. But the speech given to me was full of materials where it was neither policies nor programmes, but propaganda. They were inaccurate, they were lies. They said Tamil Nadu is a ‘haven of peace’ in terms of law and order. I quoted some instances. In Tamil Nadu, from the very next day after the ban on PFI, a terrorist organisation, for five days, terror attacks continued, more than 50 bomb attacks on houses and vehicles and no action was taken.
Then the Coimbatore terror attack on a temple. Next, I mentioned the Kallakurichi school attack. An unfortunate incident happened, where a girl committed suicide. Four or five days later, 5,000 people came from far and wide, assembled at the school, burnt it down. They burnt all the certificates, library, slashed and chopped off the udders of the cows. There are videos. And all this happened while the police kept watching. Yet another case, at a public meeting, some weeks before the assembly address, a lady police constable in uniform was molested by a DMK leader. She was compelled to withdraw the case.
Not just that. Every other day, we hear about mafias. Recently, the sand mafia walked into the office of a village administrative officer and hacked him to death. And, central agencies have informed the state that there are modules working for international drug and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Pakistan. Now, with all this happening, you ask me to say it is a ‘haven of peace’. I am oathbound to tell the people of Tamil Nadu the truth.
Then, the government wanted me to praise it for excellent management of temples and the reason they cited was that they have recovered 3,000 plus acres of encroached land. That’s a good one. We know that more than 50,000 acres of land has been encroached and recovery is too small. Look at what happened in 2022 at the Chidambaram Nataraja temple, which is not under the HR & CE.
Out of vengeance, government officers of social welfare department lodged eight complaints of child marriage against the podhu dikshithars, that they were marrying their children underage, whereas there were no such marriages. Parents were arrested and put behind prisons. And the girls, sixth, seventh standard students, were forcibly taken from home to the hospitals and made to undergo ‘two-finger tests’, virginity tests. Some of them tried to commit suicide. I wrote a letter to the chief minister, asking what is this? Now, against the backdrop of all that is happening, you want me to praise the government. Isn’t that too much?
Then they wanted me to praise and endorse the Dravidian model of governance. First of all, there is no such model of governance. It is only a political slogan, a desperate bid to sustain an expired ideology, an ideology that does not relish the idea of ‘Oru Bharatham, One India’. An ideology that underplays the national freedom movement, seeks to erase from history and memory, the hundreds and thousands of freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, those who gave their lives and everything and instead glorifies those who collaborated with the British.
It is an ideology that rabidly enforces linguistic apartheid on the whole of the nation. No other Indian language is allowed entry into Tamil Nadu. So much so that if you read the recent Budget speech, the government is going to set up a central Kalaignar library with 3. 25lakh books only in Tamil and English, no other language. It is an ideology that has created an ecosystem that fosters separatist sentiment. I don’t think anyone can expect me to endorse that. No, I will not, and I said I will not. After my speech, the speaker read out the Tamil version, I waited.
But against the protocol, against the norms, the chief minister got up and in connivance with the speaker, wanted to embarrass the governor in the house by passing a resolution against the governor. I didn’t allow them to do that. How can you embarrass the governor, in his presence? So, I walked out. Let them not tell me about Dr Ambedkar. This happened in January, before I got his statue installed here. He lives in my heart.
How is your personal rapport with CM M K Stalin?
That is good. In fact, I have a great per- sonal regard for him. A good person. I have been very courteous to him. He has also been courteous to me. On a personal front, we have a very good relationship.
Your view on governors being accused of interfering in state governance.
It is an ill-informed accusation that the governor is crossing the line. It is absolutely absurd to say that. As far as I know, the governor has only one line. That is the line drawn by the Constitution of India. The governor is a protector, meant to guard that line. The Constitution draws a line for everyone. Now, within the state, if the government tends to cross that line, it is the governor’s duty to restrain them. I really wonder in what way a governor can interfere. All the instruments of governance are with the state government, nothing at all with the governor. Now, the governor’s duty is to respect the sacred line. If the state government tries to overstep the line, it is the governor’s duty to restrain the state.
What is your view on governors being used as political tools in states the ruling party at the Centre does not govern?
I have no comment on that.
The Supreme Court has said governors must assent or send back bills as soon as possible. Your comment?
No, they put that out of context. The question is if the bill has been returned to the assembly and if the assembly has passed it and sent it as soon as possible, the governor must give his assent. There is no question of withholding but that is in the context only when he returns the bill to the assembly. Not otherwise.
How many Bills forwarded by the TN assembly are pending with you now?
There is no bill pending before the Raj Bhavan or the governor. When I came here in (September) 2021, I received 19 bills. I sent 18. One which was NEET, I reserved for the President because it is in the concurrent list. In 2022, I received 59 of which 48 I sent, three reserved for the President, one the state has withdrawn and for eight, assent withheld. That means no bill of 2022 pending.
In 2023, I received seven, all seven have been assented to. A lot of song and drama was made out that the governor said if the bill (referring to the bill to ban online gambling) is withheld, it is no longer alive. And an impression has been created that if a bill is passed by the assembly it has to be assented to. Please read Article 200 of the Constitution. It says when a Bill has been passed by the legislative assembly, or in the case of a state having a legislative council, has been passed by both houses, it shall be presented to the governor and the governor shall declare either that he assents to the bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the bill for the consideration of the President.
So, when a bill, which is not a money bill, goes to the governor, he has three options. He assents to the bill; withholds assent; and third, reserves it for the President. When I say assent has been withheld, the bill has fallen through. There shouldn’t be any confusion. There is yet another option that if the governor decides, he may return the bill to the legislature for reconsideration. And if the legislature after reconsideration sends it, the governor has to give assent. That I have done in two cases (including the online gambling bill).
The eight bills you withheld pertain to Universities?
Yes. The reason why I withheld these is because education is a concurrent subject. The SC has time and again held that the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act of 1956 has the force of a statute, and any state provision must be consistent with that. The UGC Act and regulations mandate that higher educational institutions must be autonomous and insulated from political interference. That is the position. In Tamil Nadu, our state universities are unfortunately being run as a state department. Syndicate meetings are held at the state secretariat. Autonomy has been almost completely taken away. The only saving grace is the appointment of vice-chancellors. At least the V-C should be the right person. And, that is the responsibility of the chancellor. If that also goes to the state chief minister, it comes totally under political control. And this is not possible.
What is the status of the Siddha University bill?
The Siddha University Bill when it was to be presented, I had to agree to assent it, with the observation that it must be consistent with the UGC Act and rules. There again the chancellor is the chief minister and it comes in the state list. I said this is not possible. So, the bill has been withheld.
Your response to the allegations of finance code violations and misuse of governor’s discretionary funds.
I don’t expect them to be civil or decent. But I did expect them to be honest and truthful to the people of Tamil Nadu. What the (finance) minister (Palanivel Thiaga Rajan) said was just a bunch of utter lies. Firstly, he said the governor’s discretionary grant as per the finance code is for petty charities, a few thousand rupees to needy persons. He told a lie because the word ‘petty’ was removed from the finance code in the year 2000 itself. It says that within the available budget, there cannot be and should not be a limit; that is, the governor’s discretion should not be limited. Secondly, he mentioned Akshaya Patra. Again, he told lies because in the year 2000, the then governor, concerned about heavy dropout of poor students, wanted to provide a wholesome free meal a day, that would reduce the dropout.
Akshaya Patra is a very renowned NGO. They provide free meals to about two million poor people every day. Akshaya Patra volunteered to provide a free meal to the GCC schools. All that they wanted was a hygienic kitchen. The estimate of that kitchen was Rs 5 crore. The governor sanctioned this amount from his discretionary grant, released it in instalments, and constituted a committee of the state government, headed by the additional chief secretary of the state to monitor it. A sum of Rs 4. 5lakh was released, Rs 50 lakh on completion of work. In December 2021, the kitchen was complete. They went to the corporation for a water and gas connection. Corporation didn’t give them. They were told everything is fine, but they have instructions from the CM’s office, you go and get it sorted out there. For the last 16 months Akshaya Patra has been running to the CM office. They have not succeeded in getting the CM appointment. All the documents are there, the bank transactions.
Another insinuation was that the governor was holding tea parties, spending lakhs of rupees. Traditionally, on Republic Day and Independence Day, the Raj Bhavan organizes ‘At Home’ – it is a celebration of our Independence and it happens all over the country. Earlier, it was mainly officials. I changed that. While officials will be there, their number was a bit trimmed and we got a broader spectrum of people – farmers, youth, SHGs, NGOs, people with disabilities, folk artists, classical artists, all sections. Over 3,000 people have been attending the ‘At Home’. To say it is the governor’s tea party is an insult, an insult to the people of TN and the celebration of a National Day.
Then they said money was being spent on civil service aspirants. When I joined the civil service, TN had the largest number of civil servants. Today, we are way below so many states. So, I started getting poor students in batches, 250 to 300 of them. I give them tips, guide them on how to prepare. I cannot send them back hungry. I have to feed them. I wonder why the government should nurse a grudge about this. He (PTR) told all these lies.
He (PTR) said in Ooty, the governor held a tea party and spent a few lakhs of rupees. You know what this tea party is… all these indigenous people, they are tribes of Nilgiris. They were invited, they were my guests. We spent the whole evening with them, listening to them. The Elephant Whisperers were also there, before they got the Oscar and before people came to know about them. I pay the food bill for myself and my family members. Under the governor’s privileges and allowances, the governor is not obliged to do that. But I regularly pay the food bill. They cannot raise a finger at me.
Why has the number of civil aspirants passing out of TN gone down?
That’s because the quality of our education has gone down so severely. In the early 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, the standard of our universities was high. The Madras University used to be in the top 10. Today, it is the 100th or so. Unfortunately, none of our universities come in the top category. Spreading education, basic knowledge, reading, writing, arithmetic is not enough today. It is a competitive world. Your teaching, your education has to be qualitative. Our boys and girls are denied that. Today, our youths in Tamil Nadu are completely insulated, they don’t get what is happening outside, in the country. The education standards have gone down terribly and they are not getting guidance. And this is reflected in the poor performance in civil services.
What you spoke about Sanatana Dharma is being viewed along with Varnashrama Dharma. Isn’t there something beyond this?
It is a mischievous interpretation of Indian secularism. And, it has been done by vested interest groups. When the Constitution was being drafted, nobody thought there was a need for secularism to be introduced in the constitution. But one member K T Shah raised the issue. The entire constituent assembly unanimously said secularism is a European concept where it was born out of the hostility between the Church and the State. Our secularism is equal respect to all. So, to say that our governors should not talk about religion, should not talk about dharma, that is a wrong notion. And when we talk about equal respect to all, this is what Sanatana Dharma is. Why interpret it in terms of caste, creed? These are mischievous distortions.
In fact, as a believer in Sanatana Dharma, I cannot distance myself from any religion. Be it Islam, be it Christianity. The moment I start saying they are different, then I am not a believer in Sanatana Dharma because there is no question of exclusivity.
BJP delegation had called on you for an inquiry into ‘DMK files’. What do you plan to do?
Since it was formally brought to my notice, due cognisance is being taken.
Your critics say that the Raj Bhavan has been converted into a coffee shop with your meetings with various sections.
The word Raj Bhavan is a vestige of the colonial times. In a democracy, a constitutional office is called Raj Bhavan… The governor is not a Raja. That is not correct. In fact, Now, I am seriously thinking of changing the name of Raj Bhavan. I would like to call it Lok Bhavan. It should be a public house. There is a protocol to change the name, but I will change it.
As far as meeting the people is concerned, the governor decides the constitutional responsibility that he has. The governor is expected to be a force for the good of the people of the state. And that’s the reason why I meet youth, students, NGOs, disabled people, folk artists, etc. In fact, recently we hosted transgenders because they are one among us.
You are a former police officer. What is your comment on deliverance of policing in TN?
The TN police is very smart, welltrained and reasonably well-equipped. But it is deeply politicised, heavily politicised. I’ll give you an example. I (my convoy) was attacked with sticks and stones (in April 2022) when I was going to the Dharmapuram Adheenam. Second, there were some threats and abuses. In both the cases, the governor lodged the FIR and police did not register it. This was because the accused were from the ruling party. Now, if a governor cannot get an FIR registered, that doesn’t speak well of the police.
What is your opinion on the overall governance of the DMK government?
It will not be appropriate for me to comment on the performance of the government. It is for the people to judge. If you ask me what the single-most serious concern that I have is, it is the steep decline in our human resource quality. I don’t have the exact data, but we (Tamil Nadu) may be the largest producer of engineers in the country. But when I met the industry representatives, I asked them why they are not expanding. They said this year, 90% of our engineers are unemployable. The decline is happening in universities, when it comes to quality. I met associate professors with 12 to 15 years of teaching. Barring a few, one wonders how the rest got the job. My interest is building the nation. And the nation can only be built if our citizens, intellectually and skill wise, are the best. Once upon a time, TN was the best. Today we are sliding down, and steeply sliding down. It doesn’t matter which party is in office. Our nation must grow, and it can grow only when our citizens are capable and for that you have to invest in quality education.
How have you connected with Tamil people?
From my experience with Tamil people, they are highly cultured, deeply spiritual, and exceedingly hospitable. When it comes to Tamil literature, I have limited knowledge. I started reading classic literature -Sangam literature, mostly through English translations. I was astounded by the depth of thought and richness of the literature.
Then I hit upon Thirukkural. I was floored. It is such an incredible treasure – a unique blend of dharma shastra and needhi shastra. I feel it is a divine blessing that I have the opportunity to come and serve in TN. It is great, the literature, such great people, who are deeply civilised, cultured, spiritual. That’s why it makes me wonder. There seems to be a disjoint between how the people are and how the politics is. Between people and politics, I get a different sense. I can’t expect civility and decency from politics here. On the contrary, you get plenty when you go to the people.
Were you right in walking out before the national anthem was played after the governor’s address in January this year? You left out important leaders’ names too.
Before I addressed the assembly in the year 2022 for the first time, I was told that they don’t play the national anthem in the assembly. Before I addressed, I insisted that the national anthem must be played. And the national anthem must be played both at the arrival and departure of the governor and the Thamizh Thai Vazhthu too. Despite my insistence, they did not play the national anthem at the beginning though they played at the time of departure. This time, when the speaker came to invite me, formally, I again requested him. In Parliament, in all assemblies, the national anthem is respected. After orally requesting him, I told him I am also sending him a letter. I sent him a letter, and to the chief minister as well. They did not play the national anthem.
As for the speech that the state prepares, it is usually on the government policies and programmes. That is how it should be, and the governor is to read it out. But the speech given to me was full of materials where it was neither policies nor programmes, but propaganda. They were inaccurate, they were lies. They said Tamil Nadu is a ‘haven of peace’ in terms of law and order. I quoted some instances. In Tamil Nadu, from the very next day after the ban on PFI, a terrorist organisation, for five days, terror attacks continued, more than 50 bomb attacks on houses and vehicles and no action was taken.
Then the Coimbatore terror attack on a temple. Next, I mentioned the Kallakurichi school attack. An unfortunate incident happened, where a girl committed suicide. Four or five days later, 5,000 people came from far and wide, assembled at the school, burnt it down. They burnt all the certificates, library, slashed and chopped off the udders of the cows. There are videos. And all this happened while the police kept watching. Yet another case, at a public meeting, some weeks before the assembly address, a lady police constable in uniform was molested by a DMK leader. She was compelled to withdraw the case.
Not just that. Every other day, we hear about mafias. Recently, the sand mafia walked into the office of a village administrative officer and hacked him to death. And, central agencies have informed the state that there are modules working for international drug and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Pakistan. Now, with all this happening, you ask me to say it is a ‘haven of peace’. I am oathbound to tell the people of Tamil Nadu the truth.
Then, the government wanted me to praise it for excellent management of temples and the reason they cited was that they have recovered 3,000 plus acres of encroached land. That’s a good one. We know that more than 50,000 acres of land has been encroached and recovery is too small. Look at what happened in 2022 at the Chidambaram Nataraja temple, which is not under the HR & CE.
Out of vengeance, government officers of social welfare department lodged eight complaints of child marriage against the podhu dikshithars, that they were marrying their children underage, whereas there were no such marriages. Parents were arrested and put behind prisons. And the girls, sixth, seventh standard students, were forcibly taken from home to the hospitals and made to undergo ‘two-finger tests’, virginity tests. Some of them tried to commit suicide. I wrote a letter to the chief minister, asking what is this? Now, against the backdrop of all that is happening, you want me to praise the government. Isn’t that too much?
Then they wanted me to praise and endorse the Dravidian model of governance. First of all, there is no such model of governance. It is only a political slogan, a desperate bid to sustain an expired ideology, an ideology that does not relish the idea of ‘Oru Bharatham, One India’. An ideology that underplays the national freedom movement, seeks to erase from history and memory, the hundreds and thousands of freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, those who gave their lives and everything and instead glorifies those who collaborated with the British.
It is an ideology that rabidly enforces linguistic apartheid on the whole of the nation. No other Indian language is allowed entry into Tamil Nadu. So much so that if you read the recent Budget speech, the government is going to set up a central Kalaignar library with 3. 25lakh books only in Tamil and English, no other language. It is an ideology that has created an ecosystem that fosters separatist sentiment. I don’t think anyone can expect me to endorse that. No, I will not, and I said I will not. After my speech, the speaker read out the Tamil version, I waited.
But against the protocol, against the norms, the chief minister got up and in connivance with the speaker, wanted to embarrass the governor in the house by passing a resolution against the governor. I didn’t allow them to do that. How can you embarrass the governor, in his presence? So, I walked out. Let them not tell me about Dr Ambedkar. This happened in January, before I got his statue installed here. He lives in my heart.
How is your personal rapport with CM M K Stalin?
That is good. In fact, I have a great per- sonal regard for him. A good person. I have been very courteous to him. He has also been courteous to me. On a personal front, we have a very good relationship.
Your view on governors being accused of interfering in state governance.
It is an ill-informed accusation that the governor is crossing the line. It is absolutely absurd to say that. As far as I know, the governor has only one line. That is the line drawn by the Constitution of India. The governor is a protector, meant to guard that line. The Constitution draws a line for everyone. Now, within the state, if the government tends to cross that line, it is the governor’s duty to restrain them. I really wonder in what way a governor can interfere. All the instruments of governance are with the state government, nothing at all with the governor. Now, the governor’s duty is to respect the sacred line. If the state government tries to overstep the line, it is the governor’s duty to restrain the state.
What is your view on governors being used as political tools in states the ruling party at the Centre does not govern?
I have no comment on that.
The Supreme Court has said governors must assent or send back bills as soon as possible. Your comment?
No, they put that out of context. The question is if the bill has been returned to the assembly and if the assembly has passed it and sent it as soon as possible, the governor must give his assent. There is no question of withholding but that is in the context only when he returns the bill to the assembly. Not otherwise.
How many Bills forwarded by the TN assembly are pending with you now?
There is no bill pending before the Raj Bhavan or the governor. When I came here in (September) 2021, I received 19 bills. I sent 18. One which was NEET, I reserved for the President because it is in the concurrent list. In 2022, I received 59 of which 48 I sent, three reserved for the President, one the state has withdrawn and for eight, assent withheld. That means no bill of 2022 pending.
In 2023, I received seven, all seven have been assented to. A lot of song and drama was made out that the governor said if the bill (referring to the bill to ban online gambling) is withheld, it is no longer alive. And an impression has been created that if a bill is passed by the assembly it has to be assented to. Please read Article 200 of the Constitution. It says when a Bill has been passed by the legislative assembly, or in the case of a state having a legislative council, has been passed by both houses, it shall be presented to the governor and the governor shall declare either that he assents to the bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the bill for the consideration of the President.
So, when a bill, which is not a money bill, goes to the governor, he has three options. He assents to the bill; withholds assent; and third, reserves it for the President. When I say assent has been withheld, the bill has fallen through. There shouldn’t be any confusion. There is yet another option that if the governor decides, he may return the bill to the legislature for reconsideration. And if the legislature after reconsideration sends it, the governor has to give assent. That I have done in two cases (including the online gambling bill).
The eight bills you withheld pertain to Universities?
Yes. The reason why I withheld these is because education is a concurrent subject. The SC has time and again held that the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act of 1956 has the force of a statute, and any state provision must be consistent with that. The UGC Act and regulations mandate that higher educational institutions must be autonomous and insulated from political interference. That is the position. In Tamil Nadu, our state universities are unfortunately being run as a state department. Syndicate meetings are held at the state secretariat. Autonomy has been almost completely taken away. The only saving grace is the appointment of vice-chancellors. At least the V-C should be the right person. And, that is the responsibility of the chancellor. If that also goes to the state chief minister, it comes totally under political control. And this is not possible.
What is the status of the Siddha University bill?
The Siddha University Bill when it was to be presented, I had to agree to assent it, with the observation that it must be consistent with the UGC Act and rules. There again the chancellor is the chief minister and it comes in the state list. I said this is not possible. So, the bill has been withheld.
Your response to the allegations of finance code violations and misuse of governor’s discretionary funds.
I don’t expect them to be civil or decent. But I did expect them to be honest and truthful to the people of Tamil Nadu. What the (finance) minister (Palanivel Thiaga Rajan) said was just a bunch of utter lies. Firstly, he said the governor’s discretionary grant as per the finance code is for petty charities, a few thousand rupees to needy persons. He told a lie because the word ‘petty’ was removed from the finance code in the year 2000 itself. It says that within the available budget, there cannot be and should not be a limit; that is, the governor’s discretion should not be limited. Secondly, he mentioned Akshaya Patra. Again, he told lies because in the year 2000, the then governor, concerned about heavy dropout of poor students, wanted to provide a wholesome free meal a day, that would reduce the dropout.
Akshaya Patra is a very renowned NGO. They provide free meals to about two million poor people every day. Akshaya Patra volunteered to provide a free meal to the GCC schools. All that they wanted was a hygienic kitchen. The estimate of that kitchen was Rs 5 crore. The governor sanctioned this amount from his discretionary grant, released it in instalments, and constituted a committee of the state government, headed by the additional chief secretary of the state to monitor it. A sum of Rs 4. 5lakh was released, Rs 50 lakh on completion of work. In December 2021, the kitchen was complete. They went to the corporation for a water and gas connection. Corporation didn’t give them. They were told everything is fine, but they have instructions from the CM’s office, you go and get it sorted out there. For the last 16 months Akshaya Patra has been running to the CM office. They have not succeeded in getting the CM appointment. All the documents are there, the bank transactions.
Another insinuation was that the governor was holding tea parties, spending lakhs of rupees. Traditionally, on Republic Day and Independence Day, the Raj Bhavan organizes ‘At Home’ – it is a celebration of our Independence and it happens all over the country. Earlier, it was mainly officials. I changed that. While officials will be there, their number was a bit trimmed and we got a broader spectrum of people – farmers, youth, SHGs, NGOs, people with disabilities, folk artists, classical artists, all sections. Over 3,000 people have been attending the ‘At Home’. To say it is the governor’s tea party is an insult, an insult to the people of TN and the celebration of a National Day.
Then they said money was being spent on civil service aspirants. When I joined the civil service, TN had the largest number of civil servants. Today, we are way below so many states. So, I started getting poor students in batches, 250 to 300 of them. I give them tips, guide them on how to prepare. I cannot send them back hungry. I have to feed them. I wonder why the government should nurse a grudge about this. He (PTR) told all these lies.
He (PTR) said in Ooty, the governor held a tea party and spent a few lakhs of rupees. You know what this tea party is… all these indigenous people, they are tribes of Nilgiris. They were invited, they were my guests. We spent the whole evening with them, listening to them. The Elephant Whisperers were also there, before they got the Oscar and before people came to know about them. I pay the food bill for myself and my family members. Under the governor’s privileges and allowances, the governor is not obliged to do that. But I regularly pay the food bill. They cannot raise a finger at me.
Why has the number of civil aspirants passing out of TN gone down?
That’s because the quality of our education has gone down so severely. In the early 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, the standard of our universities was high. The Madras University used to be in the top 10. Today, it is the 100th or so. Unfortunately, none of our universities come in the top category. Spreading education, basic knowledge, reading, writing, arithmetic is not enough today. It is a competitive world. Your teaching, your education has to be qualitative. Our boys and girls are denied that. Today, our youths in Tamil Nadu are completely insulated, they don’t get what is happening outside, in the country. The education standards have gone down terribly and they are not getting guidance. And this is reflected in the poor performance in civil services.
What you spoke about Sanatana Dharma is being viewed along with Varnashrama Dharma. Isn’t there something beyond this?
It is a mischievous interpretation of Indian secularism. And, it has been done by vested interest groups. When the Constitution was being drafted, nobody thought there was a need for secularism to be introduced in the constitution. But one member K T Shah raised the issue. The entire constituent assembly unanimously said secularism is a European concept where it was born out of the hostility between the Church and the State. Our secularism is equal respect to all. So, to say that our governors should not talk about religion, should not talk about dharma, that is a wrong notion. And when we talk about equal respect to all, this is what Sanatana Dharma is. Why interpret it in terms of caste, creed? These are mischievous distortions.
In fact, as a believer in Sanatana Dharma, I cannot distance myself from any religion. Be it Islam, be it Christianity. The moment I start saying they are different, then I am not a believer in Sanatana Dharma because there is no question of exclusivity.
BJP delegation had called on you for an inquiry into ‘DMK files’. What do you plan to do?
Since it was formally brought to my notice, due cognisance is being taken.
Your critics say that the Raj Bhavan has been converted into a coffee shop with your meetings with various sections.
The word Raj Bhavan is a vestige of the colonial times. In a democracy, a constitutional office is called Raj Bhavan… The governor is not a Raja. That is not correct. In fact, Now, I am seriously thinking of changing the name of Raj Bhavan. I would like to call it Lok Bhavan. It should be a public house. There is a protocol to change the name, but I will change it.
As far as meeting the people is concerned, the governor decides the constitutional responsibility that he has. The governor is expected to be a force for the good of the people of the state. And that’s the reason why I meet youth, students, NGOs, disabled people, folk artists, etc. In fact, recently we hosted transgenders because they are one among us.
You are a former police officer. What is your comment on deliverance of policing in TN?
The TN police is very smart, welltrained and reasonably well-equipped. But it is deeply politicised, heavily politicised. I’ll give you an example. I (my convoy) was attacked with sticks and stones (in April 2022) when I was going to the Dharmapuram Adheenam. Second, there were some threats and abuses. In both the cases, the governor lodged the FIR and police did not register it. This was because the accused were from the ruling party. Now, if a governor cannot get an FIR registered, that doesn’t speak well of the police.
What is your opinion on the overall governance of the DMK government?
It will not be appropriate for me to comment on the performance of the government. It is for the people to judge. If you ask me what the single-most serious concern that I have is, it is the steep decline in our human resource quality. I don’t have the exact data, but we (Tamil Nadu) may be the largest producer of engineers in the country. But when I met the industry representatives, I asked them why they are not expanding. They said this year, 90% of our engineers are unemployable. The decline is happening in universities, when it comes to quality. I met associate professors with 12 to 15 years of teaching. Barring a few, one wonders how the rest got the job. My interest is building the nation. And the nation can only be built if our citizens, intellectually and skill wise, are the best. Once upon a time, TN was the best. Today we are sliding down, and steeply sliding down. It doesn’t matter which party is in office. Our nation must grow, and it can grow only when our citizens are capable and for that you have to invest in quality education.
How have you connected with Tamil people?
From my experience with Tamil people, they are highly cultured, deeply spiritual, and exceedingly hospitable. When it comes to Tamil literature, I have limited knowledge. I started reading classic literature -Sangam literature, mostly through English translations. I was astounded by the depth of thought and richness of the literature.
Then I hit upon Thirukkural. I was floored. It is such an incredible treasure – a unique blend of dharma shastra and needhi shastra. I feel it is a divine blessing that I have the opportunity to come and serve in TN. It is great, the literature, such great people, who are deeply civilised, cultured, spiritual. That’s why it makes me wonder. There seems to be a disjoint between how the people are and how the politics is. Between people and politics, I get a different sense. I can’t expect civility and decency from politics here. On the contrary, you get plenty when you go to the people.
