- They (Bharatiya Janata Party) would claim that the Sanatana dharma enriched this nation, but you all should know that they used to discriminate in the name of caste: Appavu
NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, AUG 27
Two days after Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi had blamed the Britishers for dividing the Indians as Aryans and Dravidians at Noyyal Peruvizha in Kovai, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker Appavu on Sunday made striking remarks about the role of caste and British colonial history in India during a recent address to students, sparking a heated debate on cultural and social dynamics in the country.
Contradicting the stance of Governor RN Ravi, who has been an advocate for Sanathana dharma and has blamed British colonialism for eroding Indian culture, Speaker Appavu asserted that it was the British who, in 1795, allowed anyone to own land, breaking the historical restrictions placed on Shudras (lower castes).
Also Read:
“They (Bharatiya Janata Party) would claim that the Sanatana dharma enriched this nation, but you all should know that they used to discriminate in the name of caste,” Appavu said.
“We were kept away, and a situation was created for us, where we were not given any rights and treated as slaves. Meanwhile, 7% of them were allowed to study. They shaped this nation for them to govern, while others remained as slaves,” he added.
The Assembly speaker also claimed that the Dravidian model government of Periyar, Anna, Karunanidhi and now Chief Minister MK Stalin has developed the state.
Appavu also took a stance against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a standardised medical entrance examination in India.
“NEET is unnecessary for our education system,” he declared. “I still believe that Chief Minister Stalin can eliminate NEET by supporting the candidate he endorses for Delhi. This could bring about a transformative change, allowing CM MK Stalin to call upon the central government to abolish NEET,” he said.
