A controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after Governor RN Ravi gave more credit to Subhas Chandra Bose for India’s Independence than Mahatma Gandhi in a speech on January 23. The TN governor then clarified stating he meant no disrespect to the Father of the Nation.
On Sunday, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin said it is the duty of everyone in the country, and especially Tamil Nadu, to honour Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on January 30 as communal harmony day. In a statement, Stalin said, “They are turning this era into one where Gandhi, regarded as the Father of the Nation, is being degraded through lies and slander. Not only is Gandhi’s ideology being humiliated, but Gandhi himself is being shamed by right-wingers. This is an example of how the current era is caught in the hands of those who follow sectarianism. This must be stopped immediately.”
The TN CM said that right wingers were trying to degrade Gandhi and his ideology, and were trying to taint the diversity of India. “Let’s end bigotry, save humanity,” added Stalin.
On January 27, Governor RN Ravi clarified, “In my speech, I sought to elaborate the point that Netaji’s significant contributions to our nation’s Independence have not been adequately appreciated. I tried to make a point that what accelerated the pace and progress of Independence in 1947 were the Revolts of the Royal Indian Navy and Air Force in February 1946 – both inspired by Netaji. Due to these revolts, the British panicked because they could no longer trust the Indians in uniform for their own safety and security in India.
The Revolts happened in February 1946 and the very next month, in March 1946, the British publicly declared that they would leave India and constituted the Constituency Assembly to demonstrate their sincerity, assuage the feelings of the agitated Indians and pre-empt potential which could have had existential consequences for the British officers and their families in India.”
