Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution that the Tamil invocation song “Thamizh Thaai Vaazthu” penned by the late poet, scholar Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai, should be rendered at government functions.
“...Tamil Thaai Vazhthu taken from the play ‘Manonmaniam’ written in 1891 by Manonmaniam Sundaranar, must be sung first at government functions from November 23, 1970,” the resolution stated.
The resolution was moved by chief minister C Joseph Vijay and was supported by the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and other parties in the Assembly.
“Tamil is not just a language, but also our life and emotions. The Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, upholds the diversity of entire India, must hold the primary place here in our Tamil Nadu. The Constitution of India itself grants every state the right to protect its language and culture. On the basis of that right, shouldn’t the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu be given its rightful place?” Vijay said in his address.
Holding that Tamil Thai Vaazthu is a proud identity carrying all the greatness, he said, “a government order was passed requiring the song to be sung first at government functions starting November 23, 1970, and it was brought into force.”
{{/usCountry}}Holding that Tamil Thai Vaazthu is a proud identity carrying all the greatness, he said, “a government order was passed requiring the song to be sung first at government functions starting November 23, 1970, and it was brought into force.”
{{/usCountry}}Observing that the song was recognised as the official state song on December 17, 2021, the chief minister said, “Government orders stipulate that Tamil Thai Vaazhthu must mandatorily be sung at events in all educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings, and public organisations.”
Vijay noted that soon after his government assumed office in May, he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting appropriate recognition for the state song and procedures ensuring that Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu be sung first at state functions.
Underscoring that the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu is neither against the Constitution nor against Indian unity, he said, “It expresses the noble Indian ideal of ‘Unity in Diversity.’”
Vijay appealed to all members of the Legislative Assembly to set aside party differences, unite and unanimously support this resolution being introduced to make the singing of Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu mandatory at the start of events across all educational institutions, universities, government offices, and public sector undertakings.
DMK MLA (Govi Chezhiaan) seconding the resolution, said he supports the special resolution on behalf of the DMK. He recalled that the DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi issued the very first government order on March 11, 1970, requiring the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu song to be sung in government schools, universities, government offices and public sector undertakings.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said singing Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu is not an action against anyone, in fact it is the respect we pay to the Tamil language. “On behalf of the AIADMK, I wholeheartedly support this special resolution of the TVK government,” Palaniswami said.
Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) which has a presence in Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s cabinet, supported the resolution.
After hearing the comments from lawmakers from various parties, Speaker JCD Prabhakar announced in the Assembly that the resolution had passed ‘unanimously’.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took pot shots at the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam asking what the need was for such a resolution.
“Nowhere has the central government or the Ministry of Home Minister’s Office mentioned that the State song should be sung last. Resolutions cannot be made based on speculations,” BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy told HT.
The move by the TVK government comes in the backdrop of the advisory from the Union Home Affairs Ministry asking the states and union territories to “strictly comply” with its January 28 directive that the National Song Vande Mataram be played before the National Anthem at official events.