Basic narrative of Indian freedom movement confined to Congress, ignores unsung heroes: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Monday said that the national movement taught to the students in schools and colleges could not just be confined only to Indian National Congress. They were great leaders no doubt about it but there were far many more people.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi participated in the Trichy National college Seminar on Contribution of South Indian Languages during Freedom Struggle on 12th December and delivered his speech.

"When we look for a mass movement it could not just be confined only to Indian National Congress. They were great leaders there was no doubt about it but there were far many more people. And that is how we find the people like Dr BR Ambedkar, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Veera Pandiya Kattabomman, Velunachiyar, Chidambaram Pillai, Marudhu Brothers, Puli Devan and many of them. They do not find an adequate place in the mainstream in the National freedom movement and there are many more," Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.

He said that Mahatma Gandhi was the helm of affairs, so those who were not the part of National freedom movement fall either on the margin or footnote or nowhere/

The fact is the mainstream record of the national movements taught to our students in schools and colleges by large revolve around the history of the Indian National Congress. Since they were the ones who were prominently leading the movement. Mahatma Gandhi was the helm of affairs, so those who were not the part of National freedom movement fall either on the margin or footnote or nowhere," said RN Ravi.

Underlining the agony of slavery which many could not bear he said that the efforts of those should not be ignored.

"Since the freedom movement led by our great leader and father of our Nation Mahatma Gandhi is said, what about those who could not bear the agony of slavery like Netaji subash Chandra Bose who fight and started INA against Britishers and at Individual level, Uttam Singh, Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Raja Guru. Suk Dev and many from here as well ( TN ). They could not bare and pay the price with their life. They were called revolutionaries and they were not projected as to be headrests to the movement," he said.

"When did the National freedom movement begin? larger narrative in the country says 1857. Even if we take the European conquer colonization, was it that in 1857 when the freedom movement began? if that's so what about 1806. They colonized our minds. When our mind is colonized even today how can we give justice to the National freedom movement? How can we, on one hand, think and praise colonization and praise those who colonised us (Britishers) and we talk about the National freedom movement and those who did it? I think there is a need for a more honest approach to it," he added.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi said that the country gained independence because of those who sacrificed for us and the basic narrative about the Indian Freedom Movement does not do proper justice to these people.

"In North East, I went to the families where their fore father's flight for freedom struggle and gave their life and blood for us to be free (Now). Our independence has come came out of there who sacrificed for us," he said.

He further urged the students to eradicate the colonial mind sent and have a national perspective on the national freedom movement.

"I think our scholars our academicians our students who are interested in research, need to wildcard it in the way to develop a national perspective on the National freedom movement. Unless you have the national perspective on our national freedom movement our national freedom movement on history will concoct. We should eradicate the colonial mind sent from us and it's not easy. Some years back we had a Prime Minister who went to launch an Indian chair in British universities because it was chaired from our country's money. In his speech there he praised the British, I thought he was repeating what I heard in class 6 on the benefits of British rule in India. He was a very good person and a very fine person but it had certainly caught into the subconscious. We have to consciously eradicate it. And Mahatma Gandhi was absolutely right when after the British left when people were celebrating, a question was asked why are you not happy where he said the British have left only physically but they are still in our minds and it wil take half the time of colonisation if you work hard to erase them from our mind. We dint do any effort so far but it's time that we do it and you must do it. The time is now and this is the time to do it," said Tamil Nadu Governor.

( With inputs from ANI )

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