The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order making ‘Tamil Thaai Vazhthu’, the state song, the first song to be rendered at all official events.The order applies to public, educational and government functions and mandates that attendees stand while the song is being played, with an exemption for persons with disabilities.The government order, issued by chief secretary M Sai Kumar on Wednesday, follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 10. It applies to all educational institutions, universities, government offices and public sector undertakings.The order also referred to the resolution piloted by chief minister C Joseph Vijay, stating that the “Assembly proudly records that Tamil is the ancient classical language of the world and Tamil civilisation is one of the oldest cultural traditions in the world.”Tamil Thaai Vazhthu was officially accorded the status of Tamil Nadu’s State Song on December 12, 2021, with its rendition made mandatory before programmes at educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public institutions in the state.
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The song is taken from Manonmaniam, a play written by Manonmaniam Sundaranar in 1891. It has been sung at the beginning of government functions since November 23, 1970, and was formally recognised as the state song in December 2021.The latest mandate comes amid observations by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in a July 9 letter on the rendition of the State Song, including guidance on the sequence of songs and a reference to Vande Mataram.President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, granting Vande Mataram, India’s national song, the same statutory protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.The legislation amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Parliament passed the Bill last month, and with the President’s assent, the amendments have now come into force as law.
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