Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, Tamil Nadu’s official State invocation song, once again made headlines on Friday, though this time it wasn’t the Raj Bhavan but the ruling DMK, and particularly Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who found themselves in the spotlight due to a minor mishap at a government event.
The incident took place during a ceremony held to award postgraduate certificates to students in the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme at the Secretariat. As the event commenced, the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu was sung twice, as the first attempt was disrupted by technical issues. The song was rendered again in full after the initial rendition faced audio difficulties, with reports indicating that microphone issues had disrupted the chorus.
When questioned by reporters about the incident, Udhayanidhi Stalin clarified, “It was a technical glitch. The microphone did not work properly, and the voices of the chorus couldn’t be heard clearly. So, we rendered it again in full. After that, the national anthem was also sung fully. There is no need to create unnecessary issues over this.”
This minor controversy comes in the wake of a recent uproar involving the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, when Governor RN Ravi found himself at the center of a storm following a Doordarshan event marking the broadcaster’s golden jubilee. At the event, a line in the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu referencing “Dravidam” was reportedly skipped by the chorus, sparking swift backlash from the ruling DMK.
Chief Minister MK Stalin reacted strongly, condemning the omission as disrespectful, and he even urged the Centre to recall the Governor. The ensuing friction led to a heated exchange of statements between the CM’s office and the Raj Bhavan, with Governor Ravi responding that the CM’s remarks were both “racist” and “false,” a claim that further intensified the ongoing political tension.
The Tamil Thai Vaazhthu holds immense cultural and political significance in Tamil Nadu, making any perceived misstep in its presentation a sensitive issue, particularly amidst the charged atmosphere between the DMK-led government and the Governor.