CM Stalin vs Gov RN Ravi: The ‘missing’ line from Tamil Nadu anthem that sparked ‘Dravidian’ row

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor RN Ravi have been engaged in a war of words after singers ‘missed’ singing a sentence from the rendition of Tamil Nadu's state anthem Tamizh Thaai Valthu, during the Hindi Month Valedictory function at Doordarshan's office in Chennai on Friday.

The missing portion from the anthem was ‘Thekkanamum Adhilsirandha Dravida Nal Thirunaadum’, which translates to 'The Greatest Nation Down South in the Dravidian Lands’, sparking an immediate protest from Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Calling the omission an “insult” to Tamil Nadu’s cultural pride, Stalin demanded that Governor Ravi be recalled by the Centre.

‘Dravidian allergy….'

Taking to his social media account on X, MK Stalin condemned the Hindi month celebration, stating “celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages.” Stalin further accused Governor RN Ravi of harbouring a “Dravidian allergy” and questioned if Ravi was a governor or an ‘Aryan.’

‘Pride and precision…’

Meanwhile, Governor RN Ravi hit back at MK Stalin, calling his comments “cheap” and “regrettable”. The Governor clarified that he always recites the full anthem “with reverence, pride, and precision”.

Ravi added that he had taken “numerous substantive initiatives to spread Tamil” in states across India. “..The latest being to set up , with cooperation of the Assam govt, a Tamil diploma course in Gauhati University for spread of Tamil in the North East,” Ravi said on his X post.

Tamil Nadu anthem row

Tamil Nadu has two anthems. As has been the tradition after MK Stalin made the anthem the official state song in 2021, every government programme begins with ‘Tamil Thai Vazhthu’ and ends with the national anthem.

RN Ravi and MK Stalin's recent row over the Tamil Nadu anthem is not the first in its series. In March 2024, RN Ravi walked out abruptly after his speech in the legislative assembly, before the national anthem began. Ravi said the national anthem wasn’t being respected because the Tamil anthem preceded it.