Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is once again in the news for making a controversial statement. Arguing that secularism is a European concept, Ravi remarked that it has no place in India. This is mischievous and unacceptable. In fact, airing such views undermines the office he holds because the Constitution adopted secularism as the guiding principle. He has been acting more like a BJP agent than a governor. He is always at loggerheads with the DMK government of Tamil Nadu. His conduct is also unbecoming of a governor.
Often rude and impulsive, Mr Ravi has made it a habit to stoke controversies and display a shocking disdain for established value systems. Rejecting secularism which is enshrined in the Indian Constitution would amount to a violation of the Constitution which establishes India as a secular state and separates religion from politics. Ravi, in his capacity, is entitled to hold any views but airing them publicly erodes the dignity of the office he holds. Any attempt to weaken the country’s secular fabric needs to be confronted with full force.
Unfortunately, ever since the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre, the governors have been acting more like an extended part of the ruling BJP than a constitutional body. In Arunachal Pradesh too people have witnessed how an elected government was toppled with help of a governor. This growing case of governors behaving more like party leaders than a constitutional body does not augur well for the nation.