Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has expressed his concern over the absence of significant historical details about freedom fighters in the syllabi of universities and colleges, emphasizing that there is a disproportionate focus on the Dravidian movements instead.Speaking at the release event of the book Panchalankurichi’s Battles, held at the Raj Bhavan in Guindy yesterday, Governor Ravi shared his thoughts after presenting the first copy of the book to Ramco Cements CEO, Dharma Krishnan.
The Governor stated, “To better understand the contributions of Tamil Nadu’s freedom fighters, I requested a list from the state government. The list provided to me included only 30 names. I was surprised—could there have been so few freedom fighters in Tamil Nadu? This led me to research and compile details about unsung heroes of the independence movement. Currently, efforts are underway to collect information on 100 lesser-known freedom fighters to be published.”
Governor Ravi lamented that many parts of India’s rich history have been overshadowed or misrepresented. He pointed out that James Mill’s History of British India, written without ever visiting the country, severely maligned India’s image. British officials were trained with such literature, fostering a distorted view of the nation’s heritage and resilience.
“These distortions hid our true glories,” the Governor noted. “As I have visited various universities and colleges in my capacity, I’ve observed that the syllabi often omit the stories of freedom fighters, such as Veerapandiya Kattabomman and the Maruthu Brothers, who fought in the 19th century. The significant events of the 20th-century freedom struggle are also not well represented. In contrast, there is an abundance of content about Dravidian movements.”
Governor Ravi’s remarks highlighted the need for educational reforms to ensure that the sacrifices and stories of India’s freedom fighters are not lost to future generations.