CPI Leader D Raja Criticizes Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s Views on Secularism
New Delhi, India, September 23: CPI leader D Raja has condemned Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s recent statements on secularism. Raja questioned Ravi’s understanding of the concept and India’s constitutional values.
Raja highlighted that Dr. BR Ambedkar had warned that a Hindu Rashtra would be a calamity for the nation. He stated, “I strongly deplore the statement made by RN Ravi. What does he know about secularism? What does he know about India? He is a governor…he must abide by the Constitution. The Constitution of India defines India as a secular democratic republic…Dr BR Ambedkar emphatically rejected theocratic concepts…Ambedkar went to the extent of saying, if at all Hindu Rashtra becomes a fact, that will be a calamity for the nation. Secularism means keeping religion and politics separate. Keep religion and election separate. Don’t bring Gods for electoral purposes.”
Governor RN Ravi sparked controversy by claiming that secularism is a European concept that doesn’t belong in India. While addressing a convocation at Hindu Dharma Vidya Peetham in Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari, Ravi said, “Lot of frauds have been committed to the people of this country, and one of them is that they have been given a wrong interpretation of secularism. What does secularism mean!? Secularism is a European concept, secularism is not a Bhartiya concept.”
He further stated, “In Europe, secularism came because there was a fight between the church and the king. How can India be away from ‘Dharma’? Secularism is a European concept and let it be there only. In India, there is no need for secularism.”
This is not the first time Governor Ravi has made such statements. Last year, he claimed that those who want to break the country have given a distorted interpretation of secularism. He said, “Our Constitution is not against ‘dharma’…it is the people who want to break this country, they have given a distorted interpretation of secularism. We have to understand the true meaning of secularism in our constitution…those talking about eradicating Hinduism have a hidden agenda to break this country in collaboration with hostile foreign powers. They will not succeed as Bharat has inherent strength.”
Doubts Revealed
CPI -: CPI stands for Communist Party of India. It is a political party in India that believes in the principles of communism, which means sharing resources and wealth equally among all people.
D Raja -: D Raja is a leader of the Communist Party of India. He speaks for the party and shares their views on different issues.
Tamil Nadu -: Tamil Nadu is a state in the southern part of India. It has its own government and governor.
Governor -: A governor is a person appointed to be the head of a state in India. They represent the central government in the state.
RN Ravi -: RN Ravi is the current governor of Tamil Nadu. He represents the central government in the state and has certain powers and duties.
Secularism -: Secularism means that the government treats all religions equally and does not favor any one religion. It is an important part of India’s constitution.
Dr. BR Ambedkar -: Dr. BR Ambedkar was a very important leader in India. He helped write the Indian Constitution and fought for the rights of people who were treated unfairly.
Hindu Rashtra -: Hindu Rashtra means a nation where Hinduism is the main religion. Some people believe India should be a Hindu Rashtra, but others, like Dr. Ambedkar, warned against it because it could be unfair to people of other religions.
European concept -: A European concept means an idea that comes from Europe. Governor Ravi said that secularism is a European concept, meaning he thinks it is an idea that started in Europe and may not fit India.
Controversy -: Controversy means a big disagreement or argument. When Governor Ravi made his statement about secularism, it caused a lot of people to argue and disagree with him.