Madras High Court Issues Notice to Centre on Playing of Tamil Thai Vaazhthu
The Madras High Court in Chennai on Friday directed the Union government to respond to a public interest litigation challenging a circular that mandates playing the national song and national anthem before the state song, 'Tamil Thai Vaazhthu', at events attended by the state governor.
Admitting the public interest writ petition, the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan directed the Central Government to respond to the plea within eight weeks.
The petition, filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan, challenges the Union government's circular regarding the order in which these anthems and songs are played. The petitioner clarified in her submission that the affidavit is made with utmost respect and reverence toward the national anthem, the national song, and the constitutional values they represent. She stated that the plea does not seek to undermine or diminish the dignity attached to the national anthem or song in any manner.
According to the petitioner, the grievance is confined solely to the deviation from the long-standing constitutional and ceremonial protocols consistently followed within Tamil Nadu regarding 'Tamil Thai Vaazhthu'.
For several decades, official government functions, public ceremonies, and state events conducted within Tamil Nadu have traditionally commenced with 'Tamil Thai Vaazhthu', followed by the national anthem at the conclusion of the function. The petitioner stated that this practice has attained the status of a long-standing ceremonial convention consistently recognized and followed by successive governments and constitutional authorities within the state.
The Tamil Nadu government formally declared 'Tamil Thai Vaazhthu' as the state song of Tamil Nadu through an official notification on December 17, 2021, in recognition of its historical, cultural, and linguistic significance.
The petitioner argued that the Union government's circular is completely silent regarding officially recognized state songs. In the absence of any express reference to state songs, she contended that the circular cannot be interpreted or expanded to mean that a state song must necessarily be rendered only after the national song and the national anthem.
