Nagaland Governor La Ganesan on Tuesday condemned the remarks made by R S Bharathi, a senior leader of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Naga people’s culture of consuming dog meat. Eating habits are a personal choice, nobody should be insulted or disrespected based on such preferences, the Governor said in a statement.

La Ganesan expressed that the Bharathi’s comments was not only “in poor taste but also maligns our diverse and dignified culture.”

He further urged Nagas to ignore the unfortunate statement and stressed that it “does not reflect the real voice of the Tamil people.” Ganesan, who is from Tamil Nadu also noted “the communal harmony that exists between the Tamils and the Nagas either in Nagaland or in Tamil Nadu is a testament to the immense respect that both the communities have for each other’s tradition.”

The DMK leader had mentioned the Nagas in his speech on 4th November 2023 while launching an attack at Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, a former Governor of Nagaland. The relationship between the government of the South India state and R N Ravi is far from cordial with regular standoff and confrontations.

Governor Ganesan said that the remark that Governor Ravi was “chased out of Nagaland” was unjust and disrespectful but lacked truth. Most Nagas I have met and interacted with have expressed their admiration and respect for him, he added.

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Governor Ganesan also appealed everyone, especially those in leadership positions, to exercise caution and respect when discussing diverse cultures and encourage mutual respect between all communities.

Read more: R N Ravi criticized DMK leader’s derogatory remarks against Nagas