"Tamil Is Our Lifeline": Vijay's Challenge Amid Centre's Vande Mataram Push

A resolution has been unanimously passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, mandating that the state song 'Tamil Thai Vazthu' be sung first at the beginning of government events.

This is being seen as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's challenge to the centre's directive to play the national song, Vande Mataram, first in the sequence of the opening anthems.

Vijay, who had moved the resolution, said that the Tamil anthem must hold top priority in the state.

Both DMK and AIADMK supported the resolution. Speaker JCD Prabhakar announced that the resolution has been passed and that its implementation needs no further permission.

Read: Vande Mataram Vs Tamil Anthem: Vijay's Oath Sparks DMK-TVK Battle

In an emotive speech in Assembly today, Vijay asserted that his government will not compromise on the state's linguistic and cultural rights. "Tamil is not only a language but also our lifeline and emotions," he stressed, underlining that the mother tongue is as pure as motherhood.

"Tamil means pride, Tamil means power. The moment you say 'Tamil', the entire Tamil Nadu will come together and stand as one. Tamil Thai Vazthu must hold the first place in Tamil Nadu. Giving the first place to Tamil Thai Vazthu is our right," he said.

The resolution mandates that the state song must be sung first at the beginning of events at educational institutions, universities, government offices, and public sector undertakings in Tamil Nadu.

In January, the Union Home Ministry had issued a directive to play the national song first and then the national anthem at government events. In an advisory in July, the government asked states to "strictly comply" with that directive.

"Whenever state song is sung or played with National Song/National Anthem...National Song will be sung or played first and then the National Anthem," the July 9 advisory stated. 

Read: "Smeared With Soot": DMK Jabs Vijay In Vande Mataram, Tamil Anthem Row

The 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' song was made mandatory at government events in Tamil Nadu back in 1970. Ever since, it had become a tradition for it to be played first at official programmes. Later, in 2021, it was recognised as a state song.

A controversy had erupted in May after the Tamil song was played third in the sequence, following the national song and the national anthem, at a university programme.

Weeks later, when 23 MLAs of Vijay's party took the oath as ministers, the song was again pushed to the third in sequence. The TVK claimed the decision was made by the governor's office.

Recently, 21 MPs from Tamil Nadu had written to the governor, requesting him to mandate the playing of the state song first at the end of official functions.