Madras High Court Mandates Playing Vande Mataram for Independence Day

The Madras High Court administration has decided to play the national song Vande Mataram prior to the national anthem during the Independence Day celebrations at its principal seat in Chennai, the Madurai Bench, and all district judicial units across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

According to a circular issued by the High Court Registrar General Deepthi Arivunithi, the decision to include the national song during the celebrations was taken in view of an advisory issued by the Centre under the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign 2026 to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram.

The circular outlined the order of events, stating that the national song must be played first, followed by the hoisting of the national flag, and then the playing or singing of the national anthem. The instructions also apply to celebrations at the Tamil Nadu Judicial Academy campus in Chennai and its regional centres in Madurai and Coimbatore.

However, the lack of any mention of the State song Tamil Thai Vazhthu in the circular has raised concerns among members of the legal fraternity. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court Bar Association has written to the Registrar General highlighting the issue.

In a communication sent by MMBA general secretary P. Jessi Jeeva Priya, the association noted that playing Tamil Thai Vazhthu at the beginning of programmes is a long-standing convention in the High Court. The association also referenced a Government Order issued on August 12, 2026, making it mandatory to sing or play the State song during specific events, and requested that it be incorporated into the Independence Day schedule.