Tezzbuzz DeskIn Tamil Nadu, a political and cultural controversy has arisen over ‘Tamil Thai Vazhathu’ being sung at the third position during the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. As per the long-standing tradition in the state, government programs begin with the Tamil prayer song ‘Neerarum Kadalu Thudha…’, but this time the function was presented first with ‘Vande Mataram’, then ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and then Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
Opposition parties and Tamil organizations expressed strong objection to this sequence. As the controversy escalated, Adhav Arjun, a minister in the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) government, clarified that the government is fully committed to respecting Tamil cultural traditions and in future, programs will be organized as per the established tradition.
Arjun said that ‘Tamil Thai Vazhathu’ is not just a song, but a symbol of Tamil identity, culture and pride. He said that this song is a part of more than a century old heritage and the Tamil Nadu government has given it the status of the state anthem. Generally, all government functions in the state begin with this song, while the national anthem is played at the end. According to the minister, the order of songs at the swearing-in ceremony was decided under the new guidelines of the Central Government headed by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. He said that the government has registered its disagreement with this arrangement and made it clear that such arrangement will not be adopted in future.
Arjun also said that respect for local language and culture should be ensured not only in Tamil Nadu but in all the states of the country. According to him, government programs of every state should start with an invocation song in the mother tongue. He described this as the collective sentiment of the people of Tamil Nadu and the clear stand of the government.
Many political parties have also reacted on this issue. Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary M. Veerapandian criticized the placement of Tamil Thai Vazhathu at the third position, saying it was not in keeping with Tamil tradition. He sought clarification from the state government and demanded that such a situation should not happen again in future.
Veerapandian’s party along with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have supported the TVK government. Despite this, the allies openly expressed their displeasure on this issue.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr. S. Ramadoss also issued a statement saying that Tamil Thai Vazhathu should receive the highest respect in all official functions. Meanwhile, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan also condemned the incident, calling it an issue related to Tamil identity.
Amid the controversy, the state government has indicated that all future government functions will maintain the old tradition—that is, the program will begin with the Tamil Thai Vazhathu and conclude with the national anthem.
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