Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay had not even begun his first day in office when a political row erupted over state song, ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’, being relegated to third place after the National Song and the National Anthem, during the swearing-in ceremony in Chennai.
Government events in Tamil Nadu, traditionally, begin with the rendition of the Tamil invocation song and conclude with the National Anthem. But at the ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, the sequence was altered. ‘Vande Mataram’ was played first, followed by the National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, while ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ came third, according to the official programme announcement.
The change in protocol quickly triggered criticism from opposition voices as well as allies of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
1. CPI questions departure from tradition
M Veerapandian, the Tamil Nadu state secretary of the CPI, objected strongly to the order in which the songs were played and said the “Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu” must retain the foremost place in government ceremonies in the state.
Pointing to long-standing state protocol, Veerapandian alleged that the decision violated established practice and questioned the role of Raj Bhavan in the matter.
{{/usCountry}}Pointing to long-standing state protocol, Veerapandian alleged that the decision violated established practice and questioned the role of Raj Bhavan in the matter.
{{/usCountry}}“In this context, the decision, allegedly taken under the directives of Lok Bhavan, to accord the primary position to 'Vande Mataram' while placing the Tamil invocation third in the agenda of the swearing-in ceremony organised by the Tamil Nadu government constitutes a violation of established tradition,” he alleged, news agency PTI reported.
2. ‘Vande Mataram possesses a sectarian religious character’
Veerapandian further argued that “Vande Mataram” had historically faced objections because of its religious associations.
“It had been established during the freedom struggle itself that 'Vande Mataram' could not serve as the national anthem because the song is dedicated to a specific deity and possesses a sectarian religious character,” the news agency quoted him as saying.
The CPI leader demanded that the Tamil Nadu government publicly explain how the change occurred and identify those responsible.
“The Tamil Nadu government must provide a public explanation identifying those responsible for this error,” he said.
3. TVK distances itself from the sequence
The ruling TVK also moved quickly to distance itself from the controversy.
In a post on X, the newly sworn-in minister, Aadhav Arjuna said the party did not agree with the Tamil invocation song being played third and supported the “usual practice” followed in Tamil Nadu.
Calling the invocation song a symbol of Tamil pride with a history spanning more than a century, he said it had been officially recognised by the Tamil Nadu government as the state anthem and therefore naturally held precedence at state functions.
“This very prestigious Tamil invocation song is the first to be played at events in Tamil Nadu, including government functions. At the end of the event, the national anthem is played. That is the usual practice; the appropriate practice,” he wrote.
4. TVK has ‘no differing opinion’
“In mother Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu government, formed under the leadership of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, does not agree with the Tamil invocation song being played third,” Arjuna said.
He stressed that the new TVK-led government had “no differing opinion” on the established convention and described Sunday’s sequence as “inappropriate for Tamil Nadu”.
5. Governor cited central govt circular, says TVK
The TVK leader further said that the matter was raised with governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar after the ceremony. According to him, the Governor’s office said it had acted in line with a circular issued by the Union government, making the arrangement unavoidable.
“When we pressed the Governor's side on this matter, it was conveyed that the Governor, as the responsible authority, must act according to the new circular from the Union government,” he wrote.
He, however, said the practice would not continue in future state functions.
“In future times, this new practice will not be followed. Instead, as per the earlier practice, the Tamil invocation song will be played at the beginning of the event, and the national anthem at the end,” the post said.
Arjuna also argued that state language invocation songs should be accorded prominence across India. He added that the Union government "must take appropriate actions for that”.