Centre did not push Tamil Thai Vazhthu to the last, Additional Solicitor General tells Madras High Court

Published 10 August 2026 · local

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not insisted that the State song Tamil Thai Vazhthu should be sung only at the last, after

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not insisted that the State song Tamil Thai Vazhthu should be sung only at the last, after the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram and the national anthem, during official events, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) AR.L. Sundaresan told the Madras High Court on Monday (August 10, 2026). Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition, the ASG said, the case had become infructuous since it had challenged a January 28, 2026 notification of the MHA whereas it had been replaced by a new notification issued on July 9, 2026.

Seeking a week’s time to place the latest notification before the Bench, the ASG said: “The petitioner wants the Tamil Thai Vazhthu to be sung before the national song and the national anthem. But there is no issue at all. We are not saying that the State song must be sung at the last. We only say that if the national song and the national anthem had to be sung together, then in which order should they be sung.” When the Chief Justice felt nothing would survive to be decided in the case in view of the submission, the ASG replied: “Yes, we have just said, the national song must be sung first followed by national anthem when they both have to be sung together.

There is no directive issued by the Union with respect to the order in which the State song should be sung. We haven’t said anything about the State song.” After hearing him, the judges directed the High Court Registry to list the PIL petition after a week to enable the ASG to place the July 9, 2026 notification before the Bench. The case had been filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan of Chennai, who had identified herself as a public spirited individual,

through her counsel R. Prabhakaran. She contended that the Tamil Thai Vazhthu holds immense cultural, historical and linguistic significance. Stating the song penned by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai in 1891 had evolved into an enduring symbol of Tamil linguistic and cultural identity over the decades, she said, it was unacceptable that the State song was being relegated to the third position, after the singing of the national song and the national anthem, in official functions especially those attended by the Governor.