Madras HC dismisses PIL for restoring original version of "Tamil Thai Vaazthu"

The Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to ensure that the original version of Tamil anthem was played, observing that the present one was being sung for the past over five decades.

A division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Bhavani Subbaroyan held that the "Tamil Thai Vaazthu" in its present version has been sung by all in praise of Tamil language, culture, history and heritage for over five decades and there "is absolutely no need" to change it now.

Petitioner Ramaboopathy of the city, who claimed to be hailing from the family of a freedom fighter,  submitted that the song written by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai a century ago had been cut short and edited in 1967 without any compulsion from any quarters to modify it.

He said he undertook research and came to know that there was an original version, state government version and an alternative version, he added.

He wanted the modified, edited, duplicated version of the the song to be discarded and the original version restored.