Cutting across party lines, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed CM Vijay's resolution mandating that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung first at government functions — with the DMK, AIADMK and every major party backing it by voice vote.
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a special resolution moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, mandating that Tamil Thai Vazhthu — the invocation to Mother Tamil that serves as the state song — be sung first at functions organised by government departments, educational institutions and other state-run bodies. The resolution passed by voice vote with support cutting across the House, including from the DMK, AIADMK, Congress, PMK, VCK, CPI, BJP and the Indian Union Muslim League.
Moving the resolution, Vijay said his government would not compromise on Tamil Nadu's linguistic and cultural rights. "Tamil is not only a language but also our life and emotions," he told the House in an emotive speech, adding that the "mother tongue is as pure as one's mother."
He appealed to legislators to approach the matter beyond party affiliations, arguing that the standing of the state song should not be allowed to become a subject of political controversy. Announcing that the resolution had been carried unanimously, Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar informed the House that its implementation required no permission from anyone.
Vijay told the Assembly that the Union Home Ministry had communicated its position on the singing of state songs in a letter dated July 1, 2026. Under that communication, the National Song, Vande Mataram, is to be sung first, followed by the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Monday's resolution asserts Tamil Nadu's own long-standing practice of according Tamil Thai Vazhthu precedence at state government functions.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| "Manonmaniam" written by Manonmaniam Sundaranar | 1891 |
| Government Order directing it be sung first at official events | Nov 23, 1970 |
| Officially recognised as Tamil Nadu's State Song | Dec 12, 2021 |
| Assembly resolution mandating precedence | Aug 10, 2026 |
The resolution records that Tamil is among the world's oldest classical languages and that Tamil civilisation represents one of the oldest cultural traditions in the world. It notes that the song, drawn from the 1891 play Manonmaniam, has been sung at the start of government functions since the 1970 order, and that following its recognition as the state song in 2021 it was mandated across educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public organisations in the state.
Speaking for the DMK, MLA Govi Chezhian recalled that it was former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who had introduced the practice of singing Tamil Thai Vazhthu at official functions through the 1970 government order. The unanimous backing stood in contrast to Saturday's meeting on delimitation, which the DMK and AIADMK had boycotted — a reminder that on questions of Tamil language and cultural identity, the House has historically found common ground more readily than on partisan political matters.
Tamil Thai Vazhthu Tamil Nadu Assembly State Song CM Vijay August 10, 2026