Controversy erupts after Puducherry’s Tamil Thai Vazhthu song was played at Chennai Book Fair

CHENNAI: Playing Puducherry's Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, instead of the Tamil Nadu’s anthem, at a book launch event in the ongoing Chennai Book Fair at Nandanam YMCA grounds has snowballed into a controversy. However, the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), the organisers, denied any link to the episode that unfolded on Saturday.

The incident occurred at the launch of a book of essays on Tamil nationalism – titled Tamil Thesiyam Yaen, Edharku, Eppadi - by various authors compiled by writer Balamuralivarman. Discovery Book Palace, a member of BAPASI who printed the book, organised the event as other publishers do every day at the book fair all these years.

Naam Tamil Katchi leader Seeman, who upholds Tamil nationalism and rejects Dravidian ideology, was the chief guest at the event. Tamil Thai Vazhthu was played to mark the beginning of the event. However, instead of “Neerarung Kadaludutha” penned by Manonmaniam Sundaranar, “Vazhvinil “Semmaiyai Seibaval Neeye” was played, since the former speaks highly of Dravidian ideology.

The guests on the stage, including BAPASI president Sethu Chockalingam, stood up until the song was over. Only after the book launch did it become known that the song played was Puducherry's Tamil Thai Vazhthu penned by Bharathidasan.

Recently, when a controversy arose after Governor M Ravi skipped Tamil Thai Vazhthu at an event, Seeman reacted that he would change the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu when he is elected to power, as the song reflects more on Dravidian ideology than the Tamil language.

Publisher M Vediyappan of Discovery Book Palace told TOI that the song was played by an NTK member and added that it is unnecessarily being politicised. "When the song was played, I thought it was some other Tamil song, and it sounded good. But what is the problem even if it is a Puducherry song when it is in Tamil and penned by our own Bharathidasan? What language do Puducherry people speak?" said Vediyappan.

Sethu Chockalingam said the BAPASI had nothing to do with the whole episode and mentioned that a notice had been issued to Discovery Book Palace seeking an explanation of the incident. "If we are not satisfied with the reply, the publisher's membership will be removed," he said.

Seeman was not available for comment.