Madras High Court Upholds Tamil State Song Priority

The Madras High Court ruled that there is no restriction on singing the state song, Tamil Thai Vazhthu, first at government functions in Tamil Nadu. The decision closed a public interest litigation filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan, who challenged a January 28 Union Home Ministry circular that she alleged mandated functions begin with the national song, Vande Mataram.

The dispute centered on the ceremonial order of songs during official events, including the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Vijay. The Government of India clarified to the court that a revised notification issued on July 9 grants state governments full discretion over when to perform their respective state songs. The Union government specified only that Vande Mataram must precede the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, if both are performed.

Following these clarifications, the Government of Tamil Nadu issued a Government Order on August 12 mandating that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung at the commencement of programs in government offices, public sector undertakings, and educational institutions. The court noted that its own Independence Day sequence followed this order. Because these administrative updates addressed the petitioner's grievances regarding regional cultural dignity, the court dismissed the plea as infructuous.