No, Governor

INDIVIDUALS holding constitutional posts are expected to hold themselves to a very high standard of behaviour. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has, time and again, chosen to disregard any such value system. He has made it a habit to stoke controversies. His run-ins with the DMK government have been distinctly marked by churlishness on his part. Now, he has ignited a political storm with his remarks that secularism is a European concept and has no place in India. The Opposition has termed the Governor’s comment a violation of the Constitution, which establishes India as a secular state and separates religion from politics. Ravi, in his personal capacity, is entitled to maximalist views, however unpalatable these may be. He forgets — intentionally, it appears — that airing these publicly undermines the office he holds. It’s a breach of his constitutional responsibility. It seems that he couldn’t care less, which is highly problematic.

The politicisation of the gubernatorial office is one Congress inheritance that the BJP has chosen to not only persist with but also indulgently play around with. Several Governors have come to, or have been made to, believe that their primary role is to be at loggerheads with elected governments. In their overzealousness, some have chosen to unveil their ideological makeup and political baggage. When they overstep the bounds of office, Governors give credence to the charge that they are agenda-driven. It’s a disturbing pattern that is being replicated in state after state. The loss of credibility and trust in this vital component of the federal structure can have grave repercussions for the Centre-state relations.

Any attempt to weaken the country’s secular fabric needs to be confronted with full force. It’s perplexing that an urgent need is being felt to show the rule book to those entrusted with upholding it. So be it.