The State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS), an organisation comprising educationists, has demanded the immediate removal of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi from his post for “violating his oath of office.” The Governor, who was invited as the chief guest for an event at Madurai’s Thiagarajar Engineering College, allegedly urged the students to chant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans.
In a statement, SPCSS said that the Governor was invited by a Government-aided college on April 12 as the chief guest to distribute prizes to the winners in a literary contest. However, while delivering his address, Ravi asked the students to chant the name of a God of a particular religion thrice, SPCSS said.
“Mr. R. N. Ravi was invited as the Chief Guest in his capacity as the Governor of the State of Tamil Nadu. He was not invited as a preacher of a particular religion. He was not asked to give a religious sermon,” SPCSS wrote.
Strongly condemning the Governor’s conduct, SPCSS pointed out that the college where he made the students chant religious slogans was functioning out of the Grant-in-Aid provided by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Government of India.
“Education is a secular activity. Managements of Educational institutions are the agents of the Government, with responsibility to impart education as per the vision and provisions of the Constitution of India. In classroom activities and official functions the students should not be given any religious instructions and no one should instruct students to chant the name of a God of a particular religion,” they said.
SPCSS said that the students passively obeyed the Governor’s demand to prevent unnecessary embarrassment.
The group also criticised Governor Ravi for lacking understanding of the state’s academic structure and cultural context. “Governor Ravi is illiterate in terms of his knowledge of the curriculum and syllabus followed in Tamil Nadu’s schools and colleges,” SPCSS said. “Due to his ignorance and arrogance, he continues to propagate wrong ideas aimed at disturbing peace and instigating one group against another.”
Tamil Nadu’s educational curriculum, particularly in the Tamil language subject, has always included literary works from multiple religious traditions. “Kamba Ramayanam, written by the celebrated Tamil poet Kambar, is a key component of the syllabus and is studied as literature, not religious scripture,” the SPCSS said. They added that Tamil poets and writers have long engaged with themes from a variety of religious backgrounds, reflecting the state’s rich literary diversity.
They said that at the same college event, Comrade Jeevanandam was given extra time to continue his speech on Kambar’s Ramayam in the Kambar Kazhagam Symposium as it is a part of the syllabus. They alleged that the Governor, without basic knowledge on how students learn the religious text in a secular environment, was making “misguiding statements.”