Madurai, Aug 29 (IANS) A controversy broke out in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai on Saturday after the ‘Tamil Thai Vazhthu’ was sung third during a school programme attended by Minister CTR Nirmalkumar, weeks after the State Assembly unanimously resolved that the state invocation should be accorded priority at government events.
The programme, organised as part of a drug awareness walkathon, was attended by the Minister and TVK MLA Mustafa.
A video clip from the event showed the school song being rendered first, followed by a devotional song.
The Tamil Thai Vazhthu was sung only after the two performances, triggering criticism from the DMK’s Information Technology Wing.
The DMK IT Wing accused the TVK-led government of failing to implement the spirit of the resolution adopted during the recent budget session of the State Assembly.
It questioned how the state invocation could be relegated to third place at a programme attended by a Minister when the state government had recently supported a proposal requiring it to be sung first at official events.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had moved the special resolution, saying that the Tamil Thai Vazhthu should be rendered at the beginning of government programmes.
The proposal received the backing of all parties, including the DMK and AIADMK, and was passed unanimously.
The resolution was projected by the TVK-led state government as an affirmation of Tamil Nadu’s linguistic identity and cultural heritage.
The incident in Madurai has now prompted questions over whether officials and institutions have been properly informed about the prescribed order of proceedings.
In its reaction, the DMK IT Wing said the Tamil Thai Vazhthu was not merely a ceremonial song but an expression of the state’s respect for the Tamil language, culture and collective identity.
Placing it after a school song and a devotional number amounted to diminishing its significance, it alleged.
The opposition DMK also sought an explanation from the Tamil Nadu Minister and called upon the state government to issue clear directions to departments, schools and institutions conducting official programmes.
It said the Assembly resolution must be implemented consistently and should not remain confined to announcements.
Urging Chief Minister Vijay to intervene, the DMK IT Wing said Tamil and the Tamil Thai Vazhthu should not be reduced to subjects of political publicity.
It demanded steps to prevent similar incidents and ensure that the state invocation receives the prominence promised by the state government at all future events.
–IANS
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