DD regrets error, Gov sees racism in CM’s comment

Chennai: The Doordarshan Kendra in Chennai apologized for the ‘inadvertent mistake’ of singers missing out a line in the Tamil anthem ‘Tamizh Thai Vazhthu’ due to a distraction and not to disrespect Tamil or the anthem at the valedictory function of the Hindi Month on Friday, while Governor R N Ravi, who presided over the event, regretted Chief Minister M K Stalin making a ‘racist remark’ against him on X.

While Doordarshan also apologized for the ‘inconvenience’ caused to the Governor at the event marking the commemoration of the Hindi Month valedictory and Doordarshan Chennai’s golden jubilee, Ravi, in his message on X, said Stalin's racist remarks and incorrect imputations were ‘unfortunately cheap’ and lowered the dignity of the high constitutional office of the Chief Minister.

Clarifying that he was constrained to respond to the Chief Minister who went to the public with his ‘racist remark and false imputations,’ the Governor said that he knew the Tamil anthem well and that he recited the full Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu at every function with reverence, pride and precision.

He said the Union Government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had created several institutions to spread Tamil language and culture within the country and also in other countries. ‘As a proud Indian I myself have taken numerous substantive initiatives to spread Tamil, the oldest and richest living language,’ he added.

The singers, who rendered the Tamil anthem at the Doordarshan office at the beginning the event, missed out the line ‘Thekkanmon Athir Sirantha Dravida Thirunadum’ (The Great Dravidian Land in the South), which raised the ire of all, sparking the controversy.