Chennai, June 1:
A fresh controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after portraits of Thiruvalluvar were displayed in saffron robes at the Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan), drawing sharp criticism from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and several other parties. Governor R. V. Arlekar paid floral tributes at the event held to mark the poet’s birth anniversary as per the Vaikasi Anusham star, deviating from the State’s official observance during the Pongal festival.
The depiction of Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes, with sacred ash and rudraksha beads, instead of his customary white attire, has been widely criticised as an attempt to impose a specific religious identity on a figure regarded as a universal symbol of Tamil culture. Critics argue that such portrayals distort the essence of the author of the Thirukkural, whose teachings transcend religion, caste, and geography. The move has reignited the long-standing debate over cultural appropriation and ideological narratives in the State.
Leaders across the political spectrum strongly condemned the development. Ministers in the ruling dispensation and opposition figures, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, accused the Governor’s office of provoking Tamil sentiments and undermining the poet’s universal philosophy. They emphasised that Thiruvalluvar’s work speaks to humanity at large and warned against attempts to confine his identity within narrow religious symbolism, calling for such practices to be stopped in public institutions.