Tamil is our soul, culture, and thought: CM Vijay proclaims in Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution requiring Tamil Thai Vazthu, the state song, to be performed first at government functions held across the state
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who introduced the resolution, said Tamil Nadu would not dilute its linguistic or cultural rights and maintained that the state anthem deserved precedence at official programmes.
The resolution received the backing of both the DMK and AIADMK. Speaker JCD Prabhakar declared that it had been approved and that no additional permission would be required for its implementation.
Addressing the Assembly, Vijay spoke at length about the emotional and cultural significance of Tamil. He described the language as being deeply connected to the identity of the people of Tamil Nadu and argued that placing Tamil Thai Vazthu first was a legitimate right of the state.
Under the resolution, Tamil Thai Vazthu will be performed at the beginning of functions conducted by educational institutions, universities, government departments and public sector undertakings in Tamil Nadu
The decision comes against the backdrop of a directive from the Union Home Ministry concerning the order in which the national song and national anthem should be played at official events. A January directive said the national song should precede the national anthem, while a July 9 advisory asked states to follow the instruction strictly.
The advisory stated that when a state song is included alongside the national song and national anthem, the national song should be performed first, followed by the national anthem.
Tamil Thai Vazthu has a long-standing place in Tamil Nadu’s official functions. Its use at government events was made mandatory in 1970, after which it traditionally occupied the opening position at official programmes. The song was formally designated as Tamil Nadu’s state song in 2021.
The issue became contentious in May when Tamil Thai Vazthu was performed after both the national song and national anthem at a university event. A similar sequence reportedly occurred when 23 legislators belonging to Vijay’s party took oath as ministers. The TVK alleged that the Governor’s office was responsible for the arrangement
More recently, 21 Tamil Nadu MPs wrote to the Governor asking that the state song be given priority at such functions, with the national anthem being played at the conclusion.
