Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a government resolution making the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu mandatory at the commencement of official functions across the state, a move driven by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and supported by major parties in the House.
Resolution and its scope
The resolution directs that the state song be sung at the opening of programmes organised by a wide range of state institutions. It specifies educational establishments, government departments and public sector undertakings among the venues where the rendition must take place. The House adoption was unanimous, with legislators from the ruling party and opposition benches backing the measure.
The Assembly text reiterates the state government's long-standing position: Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, composed by Manonmaniam Sundaranar as part of the play Manonmaniam (1891), occupies a central place in Tamil cultural tradition and should be given primacy at state functions.
Chief Minister's statement
"Tamil is not only a language but also our life and emotions,"
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Vijay described the measure as protection of the state's linguistic and cultural rights. He argued that singing the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu first at official events does not undermine the country's unity but rather exemplifies the constitutional ethos of unity in diversity. The Chief Minister appealed to legislators to keep the matter above partisan politics and presented the move as an assertion of Tamil identity.
Where the song must be played
The resolution lists several categories of institutions where the song must be included at the start of programmes. For clarity, the principal categories set out by the Assembly are presented below.
| Type of institution | Examples |
|---|---|
| Educational institutions | Schools, colleges, state universities, technical institutions |
| Government offices | Secretariat departments, district offices, municipal corporations |
| Public sector bodies | Public sector undertakings, autonomous state bodies |
- The resolution references the 1970 government order that had directed the song's use at official functions.
- It also records the government's prior formal recognition of Tamil Thaai Vazhthu as the state song in December 2021.
Context: Centre advisory and protocol debate
The move comes against the backdrop of a recent advisory issued by the Union Home Affairs Ministry urging states and union territories to "strictly comply" with a directive issued on January 28 regarding the sequence of songs at official events, which called for the National Song Vande Mataram to be played before the National Anthem. The Assembly resolution reasserts the state's established practice and affirms the priority to render Tamil Thaai Vazhthu first at events organised by state authorities.
Historical notes and legal positioning
Officials noted in the Assembly that Tamil Thaai Vazhthu has been part of Tamil Nadu's official event protocol since a government order dated 23 November 1970. The state government formally recognised the hymn as the official state song on 12 December 2021 and has since insisted on its precedence at official ceremonies. The current resolution records the Assembly's stance that Tamil language and civilisation represent an ancient cultural continuum and that the invocation to Mother Tamil be accorded primary placement in state-run functions.
Reactions and possible implications
The resolution received cross-party support in the House, with both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) among those endorsing the text. While the Assembly adopted the measure unanimously, the decision is likely to renew discussion on centre–state protocol practices at public events and raise questions about how central advisories on national symbols will be reconciled with state-level directions.
Implementation of the resolution will require administrative instructions to departments, educational institutions and state-run entities to include Tamil Thaai Vazhthu at the outset of eligible programmes. The Assembly resolution itself does not amend central statutes on national symbols but reaffirms the state's protocol for events under its control.
Officials in the state administration are expected to issue operational guidelines in the coming days to ensure uniform compliance. The Assembly's unanimous adoption underscores the political consensus in Chennai at present for elevating the state song's status in official ceremonies.
Reporting from Chennai.
