T.N. in worst position with regard to safety of Scheduled Castes, alleges Governor Ravi

Governor R.N. Ravi on Thursday alleged that Tamil Nadu was in the worst position in terms of ensuring safety of Scheduled Castes (SCs).

“SCs are facing increasing problems, including not being able to walk freely on the streets and students being divided in classrooms. This is not the situation in Kerala,” he said addressing the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Gandhi Mandapam in the Raj Bhavan.

“We hear of such a situation in Tamil Nadu. This amounts to disrespecting Gandhi and his ideals,” he said. He urged students not to discriminate based on caste. “After Independence, when governance passed from the British to Indians, many who called themselves Gandhi’s disciples, abandoned his ideals. Gandhi remained in name but not in practice,” Mr. Ravi said. “We did not follow his methods in the social and economic spheres. If they had been followed, we would have reached great heights,” he added.

“At the time of independence, India was the sixth-largest economy in the world. But, by forgetting Gandhi, over the next six to seven decades, India slipped into poverty. people were made poorer,” Mr. Ravi said. “It was only after 2014 that the national leadership began applying Gandhian policies again. Since then, India has progressed rapidly, moving from the 11th largest economy to the 4th largest today. Poverty has reduced to a large extent and millions have been lifted out of poverty in the last 10 years,” he claimed.

“On this day, let us take a pledge: to keep our surroundings clean, to reject all forms of social discrimination, and to proudly embrace Swadeshi. That is the true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

Mr. Ravi felicitated nine Gandhians for their distinguished service to society. He also felicitated Safai Karamcharis of the Gandhi Mandapam and students who won the State-level essay competition held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. Earlier, he also paid a floral tribute to the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Bhavan.