Row over Raj Bhavan order on reciting Vande Mataram before Tamil song at event

CPI(M) and PMK have objected to Raj Bhavan's direction on the convocation song order at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. They say placing Tamil Thai Vazhthu after Vande Mataram and the national anthem undermines state rights and Tamil pride.Vice-Chancellor N Chandrasekar said Raj Bhavan directed that Vande Mataram be sung first, followed by the national anthem and then Tamil Thai Vazhthu.The CPI(M) and the PMK on Saturday condemned the Raj Bhavan's reported direction to begin the 33rd convocation of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University with the national song Vande Mataram instead of the state anthem Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The parties said the move violates state autonomy and constitutional rights.In separate statements, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam and PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss called it "an insult to the state anthem and its author" and asked the Tamil Nadu government to intervene immediately to ensure that Tamil Thai Vazhthu is given precedence at the July 28 convocation.University Vice-Chancellor N Chandrasekar said that under clear and strict guidelines from the Governor's Office, Vande Mataram would be rendered first, followed by the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, while Tamil Thai Vazhthu would be sung third. The announcement drew sharp reactions from political parties in Tamil Nadu, with leaders accusing Raj Bhavan of encroaching on state rights and slighting Tamil linguistic pride.Ramadoss said Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai wrote the iconic state song Neeraarum Kadaludutha, and that it was deeply unacceptable to push the anthem down in order at a university named after him. Shanmugam also said giving third place to Tamil Thai Vazhthu at a state university named after Sundaranar amounted to direct disrespect to his legacy. The two leaders also criticised the Governor's Office and the Vice-Chancellor for accepting directives they said were against Union Ministry guidelines. Anbumani said that although a Union government circular issued in February had placed Vande Mataram first, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs later clarified on July 9 that the state anthem should be sung first, followed by the national song and then the national anthem. He described the Governor's Office ignoring this clarification as a "blatant display of high-handedness".Shanmugam referred to Chandrasekar's statement that failure to follow the Governor's circular would invite disciplinary action. He said this showed the Governor was using coercive methods to interfere unnecessarily in state governance and university affairs. The CPI(M) also raised constitutional objections, saying that compelling certain lines of Vande Mataram violated the freedoms, secularism and pluralism guaranteed by the Constitution, and demanded withdrawal of any mandatory Union Home Ministry circular on the song. Both parties urged the Tamil Nadu government not to remain silent spectators and asked the state administration and university authorities to stand firm against Raj Bhavan's position. They said Tamil Thai Vazhthu must be rendered first at the university's July 28 convocation.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 26, 2026 10:34 IST