Thiruvalluvar Day: DMK slams Governor Ravi for calling poet Thiruvalluvar saint

DMK has slammed Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi for calling poet Thiruvalluvar as a saint.
January 16 was celebrated as Thiruvalluvar Day in Tamil Nadu. On the occasion, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi paid his respects to the Tamil poet. He called Thiruvalluvar the ‘brightest saint of Bharatiya Sanatan tradition’ and used an image of the Tamil poet sporting ash and Kumkum on his forehead along with a saffron robe. The DMK has now slammed Governor Ravi for the image he used on his post, stating he has no understanding of the poet or his work, the famous Thirukkural. The Dravidian party sees the poet and philosopher as someone who cuts across caste and religion and there are no religious affiliations or caste elements associated with him. He is seen as a beacon of Tamil culture.

Governor RN Ravi, who is currently in Ramanathapuram district, took to his social media to pay his tribute. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “On #ThiruvalluvarDay, I pay my humble tributes to the revered poet, great philosopher and brightest saint of Bharatiya Sanatan tradition, Thiruvalluvar born on the spiritual land of our Tamil Nadu. His eternal wisdom has immensely shaped and enriched the ideas and identity of our Nation and remains a source of guidance and inspiration for the whole of humanity. On this pious day, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all.”

When speaking to the media on Tuesday, DMK MP Kanimozhi stated, “No one has said Thiruvalluvar is a saint, there is a notion that he was married and no one has written so beautifully and poetically about domestic life than him. Us, Tamils, who had the opportunity to read and understand Thirukkural never saw him as a saint.
There are no religious symbols in Thirukkural, we cannot impose Sanatan or Hindutva symbols or any other religion on Thiruvalluvar. We need to understand this. Thirukkural is something which is beyond religion and speaks humanity.”

Meanwhile, TN CM MK Stalin posted on his social media profile on X (formerly Twitter), “No one can taint the poet for whom the state has built a 133-foot-tall stature and a monument in the capital city honouring him.” The post was accompanied by an image of Thiruvalluvar wearing a white robe and no religious symbols, which is how he is commonly depicted.
The Governor along with his wife, Mrs Laxmi Ravi, paid floral tributes to Saint Thiruvalluvar on January 16 at the Government Circuit House in Ramanathapuram District.

The couple also visited the Thirupulani temple in Rameshwaram to have a darshan of Sri Adi Jagannatha Perumal.