Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Passes Resolution On Tamil Thaai Vazhthu
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution mandating the rendition of Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, the state song, at the beginning of government events across the state.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and received support from various political parties, including the opposition DMK and AIADMK. The government maintained that Tamil Thaai Vazhthu should be performed first at official functions, in line with Tamil Nadu’s linguistic and cultural traditions.
He emphasised that Tamil represents not only a language but also the emotions and identity of its people.
While delivering the speech, Vijay stated, “Tamil is not only a language but also our life and emotions,” emphasizing that the “mother tongue is as pure as one’s mother.”
He said, “Singing the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu is not against the political system or India’s unity. On the contrary, it reflects the nation’s high principle of unity in diversity. There’s no need to make this demand of singing the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu first into a political debate.”
The Chief Minister also said that insisting on Tamil Thaai Vazhthu being performed first should not be viewed as being against India’s unity or political institutions. Instead, he described it as reflecting the country’s principle of unity in diversity.
Under the resolution, Tamil Thaai Vazhthu will be performed at the commencement of programmes held at educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public organisations in Tamil Nadu.
The resolution comes amid a recent advisory from the Union Home Ministry asking states and Union Territories to comply with its January 28 directive concerning the playing of Vande Mataram before the National Anthem at official events.
Tamil Nadu had already issued an order in November 1970 requiring Tamil Thaai Vazhthu to be sung at the beginning of official functions. The song was formally recognised as the state’s official song on December 12, 2021.
The Assembly resolution noted that Tamil Thaai Vazhthu is taken from Manonmaniam, a play written in 1891 by Manonmaniam Sundaranar, and reaffirmed the state’s existing position that it should be performed before the commencement of official programmes.
Speaker J C D Prabhakar announced that the resolution had been passed unanimously and said its implementation did not require permission from any other authority. He further said the Chief Minister’s position represented the voice of the Tamil population.
The resolution thus reinforces Tamil Nadu’s existing protocol for the state song at official events while coming against the backdrop of a wider discussion over the order in which national and state songs should be performed at government functions.