Vijay's govt proposes to make Tamil Thai Vazhthu the first song sung at events

Tamil Nadu is preparing to reaffirm a decades-old practice in the Assembly, with Chief Minister Vijay set to move a resolution asserting the State Song's place at the beginning of official events.This is Vijay's first visit to Karur since becoming the Chief Minister.The Tamil Nadu Assembly is set to pass a special resolution on Monday making it mandatory for the Tamil Thai Vazhthu to be sung before the commencement of events held by educational institutions, government offices and other public organisations across the state.Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will move the resolution in the Assembly, which seeks to reaffirm the state’s long-standing practice of singing the Tamil Thai Vazhthu first at official functions and educational institutions.The resolution describes Tamil as “one of the world’s oldest classical languages” and Tamil civilisation as “one of the oldest cultural traditions in the world”.STATE SONG TO BE SUNG FIRSTThe proposed resolution traces the practice of singing Tamil Thai Vazhthu to a government order issued on November 23, 1970. The order brought into practice the singing of the invocation, taken from the preface of Manonmaniam, a drama written by Manonmaniam Sundaranar in 1891, as the first song at government functions. Tamil Thai Vazhthu was officially recognised as the State Song from December 12, 2021. Orders were subsequently issued making it mandatory for the song to be sung before events conducted by educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public organisations in Tamil Nadu.The resolution says the practice has continued since the 1970s both as a tradition and through government orders.MOVE COMES AFTER HOME MINISTRY LETTER The proposed resolution comes in the context of a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs dated July 9, 2026, regarding the singing of the State Song.The Tamil Nadu government’s resolution argues that the Tamil Thai Vazhthu represents respect for the Tamil language and culture.“Therefore, this House emphasises that the ‘Tamil Thai Vazhthu’ is an expression of respect for the Tamil language and Tamil culture,” the resolution says.It further invokes the linguistic and cultural rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India while asserting Tamil Nadu’s right to uphold its cultural identity.RESOLUTION SEEKS UNANIMOUS BACKINGThe resolution says the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously resolves that the Tamil Thai Vazhthu “must be sung first” before the commencement of events held by all educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public organisations functioning in the state.The move would formally reaffirm the practice across these institutions and public bodies, with the state government seeking to place the Tamil Thai Vazhthu at the beginning of official events in Tamil Nadu.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Aug 9, 2026 18:40 IST