CHENNAI: Ever the contrarian, Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman said if his party came to power, the State anthem of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vaazhthu would not be recited at State functions as is done now.
The comments came amid the ongoing uproar over the omission of the word Dravidam from Tamil Thai Vaazhthu at a recent event where Governor RN Ravi was the chief guest. The embers of the fire that it sparked is yet to die down after Chief Minister MK Stalin and other DMK leaders attacked the Governor for disrespecting the anthem and thus Tamils.
Even as all parties here have arraigned themselves against the Governor over the issue, Seeman has chosen to tread a different path.
Criticising the outrage surrounding the controversy, Seeman asked, "Are you protesting now because the word Dravidam was removed? Where was this anger when the Tamil language was in decline?"
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The omission of Dravidam during the golden jubilee celebration of Doordarshan in Chennai, where Governor Ravi was the chief guest, was interpreted by several Dravidian leaders as an attack on Dravidian identity, leading to widespread backlash.