Barely hours after taking oath in a grand ceremony laced with star power and hype, Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has already revealed its true colours. Far from the “new era” of governance promised to voters tired of Dravidian politics, the fledgling regime has caved in to familiar separatist pressures, rushing to object to the national song Vande Mataram being accorded its due place at the swearing-in.
In a clear echo of the old DMK playbook, TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna issued a statement criticising the sequence where Vande Mataram (full version) led, followed by the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, with Tamilthai Vaazhthu relegated to third. The party protested to the Governor on the spot but has now publicly declared it will disregard the Centre’s protocol in future functions and revert to starting with the state song — a long-standing convention that often carried undertones of prioritising regional identity over national unity.
“At the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister and other ministers, held under the leadership of the Acting Governor of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar, first Vande Mataram, then the national anthem, and thirdly Tamil greeting was played. This new practice is not suitable for Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government, led by the Tamil Nadu Victory Party, does not agree with the Tamil Thai congratulatory song being played as the third song in the motherland of Tamil Nadu.“, he said.
‘நீராரும் கடலுடுத்த…’ எனத் தொடங்கும் தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்துப் பாடலுக்கு நூற்றாண்டு கடந்த வரலாற்றுப் பெருமிதம் உள்ளது. இந்தப் பாடல் ‘உலகெங்கும் பரவ வேண்டும்…’ என்ற இலட்சியத்தின் தொடர்ச்சியாகவே, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு மாநிலப் பாடலாக அதை அறிவித்தது. இத்தகைய பெருமைமிக்க தமிழ்த்தாய்…
— Aadhav Arjuna (@AadhavArjuna) May 10, 2026
The swift backtrack came after immediate flak from CPI allies and DMK ecosystem voices, who criticized TVK for allowing Vande Mataram to be played first.
TVK And DMK: Same Separatist Streak, Different Packaging
TVK is proving to be DMK 2.0 with a glamourized actor as its face.
TVK, which rode to power on anti-incumbency and promises of change, has shown it lacks the spine to stand firm on national symbols when faced with pressure from left-leaning and Dravidianists within the party.
Playing Vande Mataram first aligned with the Union Home Ministry’s updated guidelines emphasising full rendition of the national song. Yet, one day in, the new government is signalling it will defy that.
This is not mere protocol nitpicking. It fits a dangerous pattern: elevating state-specific songs and sentiments above unifying national ones.
For a party that positioned itself as a fresh alternative, bending on Day One to demands reminiscent of DMK’s cultural separatism once again proves that the TVK will be no different than DMK.
While the TVK can give word salads in the name of “Tamil pride”, it simmers with separatist undertones.
National integrity comes above everything. Tamil Nadu is very much within India. It is as equal as any other state and no exception will be granted. The Union Home Ministry’s guidelines apply uniformly across the country. Other states follow them without fuss. Why should Tamil Nadu alone demand special treatment? Demanding an exemption weakens national unity and promotes divisive exceptionalism.
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