Madras High Court dismisses plea to mandate Tamil Thai Vazhthu at government events
On Friday, the Madras High Court in Chennai dismissed a petition that sought to restore the traditional practice of starting government functions in the state with the song "Tamil Thai Vazhthu."
The petitioner, Ananya Radhakrishnan of Chennai, approached the court to seek a direction to both the Union and the Tamil Nadu governments. She requested them to condemn the placement of "Tamil Thai Vazhthu" after the national song, "Vande Mataram," and the national anthem during the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on May 10.
During the hearing, the first bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, raised questions regarding the maintainability of the petition. The bench wondered how they could issue such a direction when the petitioner had not directly challenged the circular issued by the Union government. The judges noted that this circular applies not only to Tamil Nadu but to all states across India.
According to Radhakrishnan, "Tamil Thai Vazhthu" has historically been sung at the very beginning of government functions in Tamil Nadu, with the national anthem performed at the conclusion. She argued that this established practice is being diluted by placing the state song after the national song and national anthem.
The petitioner highlighted a circular dated January 28, which directed that government functions must begin with the national song. However, she pointed out that this circular did not prohibit individual states from starting their official events with their respective state songs.
Radhakrishnan contended that "Tamil Thai Vazhthu" holds deep significance, representing the identity, culture, and sentiments of the Tamil people rather than being a purely ceremonial song. She also clarified that her legal action was not directed against the national song or the national anthem itself. Following the bench's remarks, the plea was dismissed as withdrawn.
