Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Union MoS L. Murugan during the release of 13 publications on renowned Tamil scholars, heritage, architecture, culture, and a book on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee by the Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at Uprashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 2, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Releasing 13 books published by the Publication Division under the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Tamil heritage, culture and architecture, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan said on Monday (March 2, 2026) that the language got wide global recognition under the Narendra Modi government.
Lauding Mr. Modi, the Vice-President said the Prime Minister speaks more of Tamil than his mother tongue Gujarati. “This should be a matter of pride for every Tamil person,” he said.
In a veiled attack against Dravidian politics, the Vice-President said certain people tried to portray a picture that India was never under one administrative regime and the British united the country. “But they conveniently forget that even Tamil Nadu itself was not a united society and it was divided into many kingdoms. Even though we are not a single country politically, we have been a single country culturally,” he said, citing the influence of Ramayana on the Indian society.
Referring to the works of saint Ramanuja, the Vice-President said the message of equality was spread through social reforms and works against casteism.
The Vice President said India has always been one country, culturally united by a single dharma, despite differences in languages, religions, and political ideologies. Speaking on the popularity of Ramayana and Mahabharata across every village of the country, he said the epics were not imposed but embraced through the shared spiritual ethos that bind the nation together.
Mr. Radhakrishnan appreciated Mr. Modi’s efforts in honouring Tamil heritage, including his frequent references to Thirukkural and Subramania Bharati on global platforms. “More than anyone else, the Prime Minister has consistently recognised and praised the greatness of the Tamil language wherever he goes,” he said, adding that the announcement of establishing a Thiruvalluvar Chair at a university in Malaysia and initiatives such as the Kashi Tamil Sangamam helped in protecting the culture and heritage of Tamil.
The publications included books such as ‘Rameswaram, a sacred centre symbolising spiritual unity from North to South India’; ‘The life and philosophy of Sri Ramanuja’, ‘The historic Nadukal tradition’, ‘The ancient trade centre of Arikamedu’; ‘Bhakti literature of the Nayanmars and Alwars’; and ‘The architectural marvels of the Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Brihadeesvara Temple’. Works on Manimekalai, and Mahavidwan Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, are also part of the publications.
Addressing the gathering Union Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said the Modi government has allocated nine times more funds to Tamil Nadu in the past 10 years than the UPA government. He listed several development schemes, including railway projects in the election-bound State.
Published – March 02, 2026 10:53 pm IST
