Chennai, June 8 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Assembly will convene on June 18, with Governor Rajendra Arlekar scheduled to deliver the customary address to members at the opening of the session. However, attention is already focused on whether the proceedings will begin without controversy or witness a fresh confrontation between Lok Bhavan and the state government over the rendering of Vande Mataram, the National Anthem and Thamizhthai Vaazhthu at official functions.

What was once considered a routine constitutional formality has, in recent years, become a politically sensitive event in Tamil Nadu. During the tenure of former Governor R.N. Ravi, Assembly addresses frequently generated controversy, particularly over issues involving the use of national symbols and ceremonial protocol.

One of Ravi’s recurring concerns was the manner in which the National Anthem was rendered during official events and Assembly proceedings. The issue has resurfaced under Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK-led government following disagreements over the sequence in which ceremonial songs are played at state functions.

At the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay and his ministers on May 10, Thamizhthai Vaazhthu was rendered after Vande Mataram and the National Anthem. A similar protocol was followed during the subsequent Cabinet expansion ceremony held at Lok Bhavan.

The arrangement drew criticism from Opposition parties, particularly the DMK and some of its allies, which argued that Thamizhthai Vaazhthu should continue to occupy its traditional place at the beginning of official state functions.

Opposition leaders accused the government of diluting Tamil cultural identity by relegating the state invocation song to a secondary position. Recent developments in neighbouring Kerala have further heightened interest in how the June 18 proceedings may unfold.

During the opening session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly in May, only a short version of Vande Mataram was played before and after the Governor’s address, reportedly prompting objections from Arlekar, who also serves as the Governor of Kerala.

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan defended the practice, stating that no law mandates a full rendition of Vande Mataram and that the state had followed its established convention.

Tamil Nadu ministers, including Aadhav Arjuna, have said the state government has already raised the issue with the Governor and is examining legal options regarding a Union Home Ministry circular issued in January.

The government maintains that the circular does not prohibit state invocation songs such as Thamizhthai Vaazhthu from being rendered at the beginning of official functions. The matter was also raised by Chief Minister Vijay during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 27. CM Vijay reportedly sought a clarification or modification to the Union government’s guidelines to ensure that state invocation songs, including Thamizhthai Vaazhthu, can continue to be accorded their traditional place at government events.

Against this backdrop, the Governor’s address on June 18 is expected to attract considerable attention, not only for the government’s legislative agenda but also for indications of whether the protocol dispute has been resolved or is set to trigger another round of friction between Lok Bhavan and the state government.

–IANS

aal/dpb