Governor prefers to tread the path of Godse, Appavu

Madurai: Reacting strongly to Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi's recent remarks that secularism was a European concept, Tamil Nadu assembly speaker M Appavu emphasized the importance of Articles 15 and 17 in the Indian Constitution, stating that the governor should understand why they exist.Article 15 prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, while Article 17 abolishes untouchability. "These articles were included because people in our country were historically persecuted due to religion and caste," Appavu explained. He added that ideologies like Sanatana Dharma and Manu Dharma, which align with RSS beliefs, historically allowed only a small percentage of upper castes to own property and access education, while oppressed castes faced severe restrictions, including being barred from temples and public spaces.Appavu stressed that people should learn from history and recognize the struggles endured by their ancestors. We live as per the principles of ahimsa, advocated by Mahatma Gandhi, and there was RSS that trained Godse and expelled him one year earlier, to assassinate Gandhi. "We follow Gandhi's path, while people like the governor seem to follow Godse's," Appavu remarked, criticizing the Union government's silence on the governor's statements.Appavu made these comments while in Radhapuram, Tirunelveli, where he released water from the Kothaiyaru Dam into the Radhapuram canal. The state government has allowed 150 cusecs of water for 138 days from September 25, irrigating 17,000 acres in the Radhapuram block of Tirunelveli district.MSID: 113674333 413 |