A fresh controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu over the protocol followed at official events, with 21 Members of Parliament writing to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, urging Raj Bhavan to restore the convention of rendering Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu at the beginning of university convocations and government functions.
In a letter dated August 5, the MPs referred to the protocol followed at the 33rd convocation of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli on July 28. They alleged that instructions from Raj Bhavan resulted in the ceremony beginning with Vande Mataram, followed by the National Anthem, while Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu was rendered third.
The MPs said the sequence was perceived by many in Tamil Nadu as "an unintended slight" to the state's official anthem and to Manonmaniam Sundaranar Pillai, after whom the university is named and who composed Neeraarum Kadaludutha. They noted that the song has been Tamil Nadu's official state anthem since 2021 and has been rendered at public functions for more than five decades.
Pointing to Governor Arlekar's address to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in June this year, the MPs said the proceedings had begun with Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu, followed by the National Anthem, and described the convocation protocol as a departure from the established practice. They also cited conventions followed in other states, including Karnataka, where state anthems are accorded precedence at official functions.
The MPs urged Raj Bhavan to issue clear guidelines to universities and government institutions to ensure that Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu is rendered at the beginning of convocations and other official events, with the National Anthem played at the conclusion. They also sought an assurance that no disrespect towards the state anthem or Manonmaniam Sundaranar was intended.
The representation was signed by 21 MPs from Tamil Nadu, including P. Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, B. Manickam Tagore, Thol Thirumavalavan and Durai Vaiko. The signatories said the letter was being submitted "not as a complaint, but as a respectful request" to ensure that state institutions function "with dignity and without avoidable controversy."
The controversy comes days after Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu was once again rendered third during the state Cabinet swearing-in ceremony. It was the third consecutive official event at which the state anthem was played after Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, drawing criticism from political parties and reigniting the debate over ceremonial protocol in Tamil Nadu.
Raj Bhavan is yet to respond to the MPs' representation.
(With inputs from PTI)
