Blaming the British for creating a “false history” as part of their divide-and-rule policy, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Sunday contended that the concept of Aryans and Dravidians was mainly a geographical, rather than racial, division. But the British made it racial to suit their needs.
Speaking at a function to mark the 216th year of Vellore Sepoy Uprising, also known as Sepoy Mutiny, he said that according to ancient literature and historical records, the northern parts of the Vindhya Range were known for the settlements of Aryans and the areas to the south, which covers the modern-day Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and parts of Odisha, were known as the Dravidian land. “It is a false history, created by the British as part of their divide-and-rule policy, that Dravidian is a race. This was evident from the fact that when they [the British] left, India had 600 independent countries, apart from Pakistan, within it in 1947,” he said.
The Governor said that after independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Union Home Minister, brought all provinces and States under one Union. However, many divisions, based on caste and tribe, had occurred since then, resulting in an imbalanced growth. Even in progressive States like Tamil Nadu, there were variations in growth among different communities. Such a problem, he said, could be resolved only with the one-nation concept. “Age-old problems like poverty, illiteracy and power supply still persist since independence. Because we don’t address these problems in totality. In other words, we have to work like a family,” he said.
The Governor stressed the need to cherish the sacrifices made by martyrs and freedom fighters. They were forgotten for years after independence. However, steps had been taken to remember their contributions to the freedom struggle. “A nation cannot be great if it is ungrateful to the sacrifices made by its freedom fighters for the country’s independence,” he said.
Tracing the origin of the Sepoy Mutiny, the Governor said the history penned by the British had said the reason for the revolt was a dress code that was opposed by the native soldiers. That interpretation was wrong because any difference over the dress code could have been resolved by the army with its in-built mechanism. Proper research had to be done to find the actual reasons. “What happened in Vellore was not just a mutiny but the country’s first struggle for independence in which soldiers from various places took part,” he said.
Earlier, the Governor laid a wreath at the Vellore Sepoy Mutiny Memorial at Makkan Junction near the fort. Mayor Sujatha Ananthakumar, Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian, S. Rajesh Kannan, SP (Vellore), NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, college students, residents, families of INA veterans and freedom fighters and retired soldiers participated in the celebrations.
