The swearing-in of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday triggered a political and cultural row after the Tamizh Thai Vazhthu, Tamil Nadu’s state song, was played third behind Vande Mataram and the national anthem- breaking with the state’s custom and drawing criticism from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the CPI.
As per the customs in the southern state, ‘Tamil Thai Valthu’, which begins with the lines “Neerarum Kadaludutha…”, is played at the beginning of official functions in Tamil Nadu, while the National Anthem is played at the end.
However, at the grand event at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the sequence was altered. ‘Vande Mataram’ was played first, followed by the National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, while ‘Tamil Thaai
Vaazhthu’ was played third, according to the official programme announcement.
The change in protocol triggered criticism from opposition voices as well as allies of the CM Vijay’s TVK.
CPI Questions Change In Protocol
Tamil Nadu CPI Secretary M Veerapandiyan issued a letter taking exception to ‘Thamizhthai Vaazhthu’ being pushed to third place, calling them the “violation of established convention.”
“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 of the swearing-in ceremony organised by the Tamil Nadu government amounts to a violation of established convention. The Tamil Nadu government must explain to the public who was responsible for this lapse,” he said in a post on X.
Chennai | On his letter against Thamizhthai Vaazhthu sung after Vande Mataram and National Anthem at TN CM Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony, Tamil Nadu CPI Secretary M Veerapandiyan says, “The National Anthem is to be respected. Our country is India. Its national anthem is ‘Jana Gana… pic.twitter.com/jVYJQ1WVdb
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2026
Veerapandiyan asked the newly formed TVK government to respond to the matter and urged the Chief Minister and the Pro-term Speaker to ensure that ‘Thamizhthai Vaazhthu’ is sung first at the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and the National Anthem is sung at the conclusion of the session.
“Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam must ensure that the Thamizhthai Vaazhthu is accorded primacy. Such an error must not be allowed to continue. TN Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and the Pro-tem Speaker are to ensure that the Thamizhthai Vaazhthu is sung first and the National Anthem played at the conclusion during tomorrow’s Assembly session, convened for the swearing-in of MLAs, as well as at all government functions and ceremonies,” he added.
TVK Minister Blames Centre Circular
Reacting strongly, Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the new arrangement was “inappropriate for Tamil Nadu” and asserted that the Vijay-led government did not agree with relegating the Tamil invocation song to the third position.
“The Tamil invocation song carries a historical pride spanning over a century. It was declared the state anthem by the Tamil Nadu government and has always been played first at government events. At the end of the event, the National Anthem is played. That is the usual and appropriate practice,” Arjuna said in a statement.
‘நீராரும் கடலுடுத்த…’ எனத் தொடங்கும் தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்துப் பாடலுக்கு நூற்றாண்டு கடந்த வரலாற்றுப் பெருமிதம் உள்ளது. இந்தப் பாடல் ‘உலகெங்கும் பரவ வேண்டும்…’ என்ற இலட்சியத்தின் தொடர்ச்சியாகவே, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு மாநிலப் பாடலாக அதை அறிவித்தது. இத்தகைய பெருமைமிக்க தமிழ்த்தாய்…
— Aadhav Arjuna (@AadhavArjuna) May 10, 2026
He said that upon raising the matter with the Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the responsible authority, they were informed that the Governor only acted per the circular from the Union Government, making it an “unavoidable situation.” Arjuna also argued that state language invocation songs should be accorded prominence across India. He added that the Union government “must take appropriate actions for that”.
The Minister assured that the practice will be discontinued and the Tamil invocation song will be played at the beginning of the event and the National Anthem at the end, as per the former practice.
“When we pressed the Governor’s side on this matter, it was conveyed that the Governor, as the responsible authority, must act according to the new circular from the Union government. Accordingly, in an unavoidable situation, the Tamil invocation song was played as the third song,” he said.
However, in future times, this new practice will not be followed. Instead, as per the earlier practice, the Tamil invocation song will be played at the beginning of the event, and the national anthem at the end! Not just in Tamil Nadu, but in all states of India, the state language invocation song must be played at the beginning of the event. The Union government must take appropriate actions for that. That is the sentiment and unified resolve of the entire Tamil Nadu people. That is also our firm stance. Truth alone shall prevail! Long live Tamil!” he added.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician and TVK founder C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, ushering in a major political shift in the state.
His victory marks the first time in nearly seven decades that a party other than the DMK or AIADMK has formed the government in the southern state. Vijay has become the ninth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from agencies)
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