Vande Mataram First, Tamil Thai Vazhthu Third: Is Vijay Changing Decades-Old Dravidian Model Or Sending Message To BJP?

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s swearing in ceremony has triggered a major political and cultural debate in the state. While the event at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was a celebration of Vijay’s historic political triumph and a break from decades of DMK-AIADMK dominance, it was the order in which the songs were played that took the nation by storm. Rather than opening with Tamil Nadu’s official state song “Tamil Thai Vazhthu”, it began with the full version of “Vande Mataram”, followed by the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana”, and Tamil Thai Vazhthu came third. Yet the move now raises the question of whether Vijay is trying to transform Tamil Nadu’s historic Dravidian political culture or signalling a more conciliatory approach towards the BJP-led Centre.

What’s The ‘politics’ in Tamil Thai Vazhthu?

Tamil Thai Vazhthu has held a special place in Tamil Nadu government functions, symbolizing Tamil identity, language pride, and the Dravidian legacy of regional autonomy and a resistance to Hindi imposition.

However, in Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony, a full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram was played first, followed by the national anthem and Tamil Thai Vazhthu as the third song. Political analysts immediately took question of the sequence as being politically significant.

The sequence was in accordance with a recent Union Home Ministry order that if Vande Mataram and the national song are played together, the national song would be played first and the six-stanza version of Vande Mataram would be used.

Is Vijay moving away from Dravidian politics?

The issue has fuelled debate on whether Vijay is moving away from Dravidian politics as practiced by his predecessors in DMK, AIADMK and other parties. Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu have traditionally focused on Tamil identity, federalism and resistance to what they see as Hindi-Hindu nationalist politics. In this backdrop, an emphasis on Vande Mataram, which was so meaningful in the past.

It is believed by many political observers that Vijay is trying to reassert himself as a Tamil leader with a strong sense of national symbolism. Others argue he is simply trying to keep a good rapport with the BJP-led Union government.

Why did CPI slam Vijay’s ceremony?

Following today’s oath, Communist Party of India (CPI) strongly condemned the ceremony over not playing Tamil Thai Vazhthu first, saying that it was a “relegation” of Tamil Nadu’s official state song.

CPI leaders said Tamil Thai Vazhthu, which celebrates the culture and political identity of Tamil Nadu, should have remained the first song to reflect the state’s importance in official functions. They also questioned whether the ceremony reflected a shift towards BJP ideology.

Supporters of Vijay argue that placing Vande Mataram as the first song does not compromise Tamil identity.

What was the outcome of BJP’s Vande Mataram promotion?

The controversy is also part of BJP’s Narendra Modi-led government’s promotion of Vande Mataram, given that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the song. Union Cabinet recently approved a change that would give Vande Mataram the same protection as the national anthem. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly defended the move, accusing Opposition parties of politicising the issue and dividing the song for appeasement politics.

With Rahul Gandhi also present during Vijay’s oath-taking ceremony, the visuals of Vande Mataram being played first have added another layer to Tamil Nadu’s changing political narrative ahead of future national battles.

ALSO READ: ‘Why Is She There?’: Trisha Krishnan Faces Social Media Backlash Over Presence At Vijay’s CM Oath Ceremony