Governor R.N. Ravi here on Monday said those denying the existence of Sri Ram and the fact that India was one nation were trying to destroy Tamil culture and create a fake and fictitious identity.
Speaking at Raj Bhavan during the launch of two books – Culture of Bharat as detailed in Ancient Tamil Literature and Culture of Bharat as detailed in Tamil Inscriptions – both authored by M.L. Raja, he said that about a 100 years ago, a project to break apart India began in this part of the country also. It continued even after the British left. “Some people keep denying that India is a nation. They deny the existence of Sri Ram. If you deny these, then you are destroying the culture and identity of the Tamil people,” he said.
Mr. Ravi commended the Tamils for having safeguarded their identity and culture. The audacity to refuse to submit to certain forces was a commendable feat. According to him, the Tamil land was where the “idea of Bharat” was born. This was where people such as the Nayanmars and Alwars and saints such as Thyagaraja once trod.
The British who came to the country brought missionaries to evangelise people and destroy Sanatana Dharma. He reiterated his claim that for this, they recruited hordes of people and one of whom was Robert Caldwell, a school dropout. His work became a rallying point for people trying to destroy the culture of the Tamil people, he added.
Sridhar Vembu, CEO, Zoho, said history should not be forgotten, as we would not know where to go otherwise. “The Greeks were a civilisation equal to the Indians but they are nowhere now. As far as India is concerned, this is the time when the rebirth of civilisation is taking place,” he said.
Mr. Raja said: “Our youth do not study the history of the Tamils, not due to the lack of material but due to lack of effort. We have more than 5 lakh manuscripts, and 2 lakh inscriptions, but we don’t have a comprehensive source for any of these. What is needed is a software that will read these scripts and provide translations.”
