# Madras HC says no bar on singing Tamil anthem first 2026-08-18T18:11:09+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Madras High Court has clarified that there is no bar on singing the Tamil anthem 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' first at government functions in Tamil Nadu. The court stated that a Union Home Ministry circular issued on July 9 only mandates that Vande Mataram be sung before the National Anthem when both are played together, and does not address state anthems. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murughan, noted that this sequence was followed at the Madras High Court on Independence Day: Tamil Thai Vazhthu first, followed by Vande Mataram and the National Anthem. The clarification came during a PIL filed by Chennai resident Ananya Radhakrishnan, who sought directions to ensure government functions begin with the Tamil anthem. The Centre's counsel confirmed the circular does not stipulate that Tamil Thai Vazhthu should be sung last. The controversy had intensified after the swearing-in of Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on May 10, 2026, where the Tamil anthem was played third. The Tamil Nadu Assembly later passed a resolution mandating the state song first at all government functions. The court has reserved its orders on the petition. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both ndtv.com and timesnownews.com report the same factual outcome: the Madras High Court found no bar on singing the Tamil anthem first, and the Centre clarified its circular does not govern state anthems. ndtv.com frames the story as a legal clarification with a neutral tone, detailing the court's reasoning and background including tensions with the Governor and university convocations. timesnownews.com frames it as a 'big win' for the ruling TVK government, using a more dramatic and politically favourable lens. The measured takeaway is that the court has merely confirmed existing discretion, not issued a directive, the political dispute over song order is not legally resolved but effectively defused for now. Watch for the court's final order and any future state-Centre friction over ceremonial protocols. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral - ndtv.com (neutral report) Straight legal reporting, no overt slant, details court arguments and background without editorialising. - timesnownews.com (pro government) Frames outcome as 'big win' for TVK government, uses favourable language like 'positive resolution' and 'favourable conclusion'. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T12:17:31+00:00. Tags: Madras High Court, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vazhthu, Union Home Ministry, Vande Mataram Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/madras-high-court-no-bar-on-singing-tamil-anthem-first/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/madras-high-court-no-bar-on-singing-tamil-anthem-first/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/