The swearing-in ceremony of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay has ignited a political controversy after the state song 'Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu' was relegated to third place in the order of songs played during the event. Traditionally, government functions in Tamil Nadu begin with the rendition of the state song and conclude with the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'. However, at the ceremony held on Saturday, the national song 'Vande Mataram' was played first, followed by the national anthem, and only then the state song.
Union Cabinet's Proposed Amendment
This development comes shortly after the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, aiming to place 'Vande Mataram' on par with the national anthem. Under the proposed amendment, insults or obstruction related to the national song could attract the same penalties currently applicable to the national anthem, the national flag, and the Constitution.
CPI's Strong Objection
The Communist Party of India (CPI), one of the parties that supported the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in forming the government, strongly objected to the order of songs. CPI state secretary M Veerapandiyan issued a letter stating that the order violated long-standing convention in Tamil Nadu. He wrote, "As per instructions issued by the Raj Bhavan, giving precedence to the song 'Vande Mataram' and placing Tamil in the third position in the programme schedule amounts to a violation of established convention. The Tamil Nadu government must explain to the public who was responsible for this lapse."
Veerapandiyan further highlighted the historical and ideological implications, noting that during the freedom struggle, it was decided that 'Vande Mataram' could not serve as the national anthem because the song was dedicated to a specific deity and carried a sectarian religious character. He demanded that the state song be given primacy in all future government functions, including the Assembly session for the swearing-in of MLAs.
TVK Distances Itself
Amid the controversy, the TVK distanced itself from the decision. Minister Aadhav Arjuna stated, "The Tamil invocation song carries a century-old legacy of historical pride. It is this proud Tamil invocation song that is played first at events in Tamil Nadu, including government functions. At the end, the national anthem is played. That is the usual practice." He explained that when the party raised the issue with the Governor's side, it was conveyed that the Governor had to act according to a new circular from the Union government. However, he assured that in future, the earlier practice would be followed: the Tamil invocation song would be played at the beginning and the national anthem at the end.
Message for BJP?
The move is seen as a message to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aligning with the Union home ministry's directive making it compulsory to play the full version of the national song at formal and government events. Interestingly, the same directive was not followed at the oath-taking ceremony of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, which took place on the same day. That event, historic for being the first BJP government in Bengal, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. During the Tamil Nadu ceremony, Chief Minister Vijay stood next to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who has been critical of the Centre's charge that Congress, during Jawaharlal Nehru's time, omitted portions of 'Vande Mataram' to fuel communal tensions.
