Madras High Court Dismisses Plea on Tamil Thai Vazhthu at Government Events

The Madras High Court in Chennai on Friday dismissed as withdrawn a petition seeking to restore the long-standing practice of starting government functions in Tamil Nadu with the state song, 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu', as the opening invocation.

The petitioner, Ananya Radhakrishnan of Chennai, filed the plea to challenge the relegation of the song during a high-profile state event. Specifically, she wanted the court to direct both the Union government and the Tamil Nadu government to condemn the placement of 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' in the third position, behind the national song 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem, during the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on May 10.

When the plea came up for hearing, the first bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, questioned the legal basis of the petition. The judges wondered how the court could issue such a direction without the petitioner directly challenging the circular issued by the Union government. The bench noted that this circular applies not only to Tamil Nadu but across all states in India.

According to Radhakrishnan, the traditional practice in Tamil Nadu has always been to sing 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' at the start of government functions, with the national anthem performed at the end. She argued that this established custom was being diluted by placing the state song after 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem.

The petitioner highlighted a Union government circular from January 28, which directs that government functions must begin with the national song. However, she pointed out that this circular does not explicitly prohibit states from starting their official events with their respective state songs.

Radhakrishnan contended that 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' is not merely a ceremonial song but a vital symbol representing the identity, culture, and sentiments of the Tamil people. She clarified that her petition was not aimed against either the national song or the national anthem. Following the court's observations, the plea was dismissed as withdrawn.