The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not directed that Tamil Nadu’s State song, Tamil Thai Vazhthu, be sung only after the national song Vande Mataram and the national anthem at official events, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.R.L. Sundaresan told the Madras High Court on Monday, 10 August 2026, as reported in The Hindu.
Appearing before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, the ASG said there was no directive from the Union government prescribing the order in which the State song should be sung.
“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,” the ASG said.
The submission was made during the hearing of a PIL challenging a 28 January 2026 notification issued by the MHA. Sundaresan informed the Bench that the notification had since been replaced by a fresh notification issued on 9 July 2026, rendering the petition infructuous.
Seeking a week’s time to place the latest notification before the court, he said the petitioner’s contention was that Tamil Thai Vazhthu should be sung before the national song and the national anthem.
“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.”
Clarifying the Union government’s position, Sundaresan added: “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 the submission, the Bench directed the Registry to list the PIL after a week, allowing the ASG to place the July 9 notification before the court.
The petition was filed by Chennai resident Ananya Radhakrishnan, who described herself as a public-spirited individual, through advocate R. Prabhakaran.
Radhakrishnan argued that Tamil Thai Vazhthu, penned by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai in 1891, holds immense cultural, historical and linguistic significance and has evolved into a symbol of Tamil linguistic and cultural identity.
She contended that it was unacceptable for the State song to be relegated to the third position after Vande Mataram and the national anthem at official functions, particularly events attended by the Governor.
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