The conversation around Tamil pride has found renewed resonance among Tamil cinema personalities, with actor-turned-politician Vijay becoming the latest to speak about the emotional and cultural significance of the language.
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister and actor C Joseph Vijay said Tamil cannot be viewed merely as a means of communication. “Tamil isn’t just a language. It’s an attitude, a culture, a thought. It’s love, to put it simply,” he said, adding that the language is intertwined with the lives and emotions of Tamilians.
His remarks came as the Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution making the singing of Tamil Thai Vazhthu mandatory at the beginning of government programmes. The state song will henceforth be rendered before events held at educational institutions, universities, government offices and public sector undertakings across Tamil Nadu.
Vijay also cautioned against viewing the move through a political lens. According to him, beginning programmes with Tamil Thai Vazhthu neither challenges the political system nor India's unity. Instead, he described it as an expression of the country's principle of ‘unity in diversity’ and said there was no need to turn the matter into a political debate.
Vijay's comments come shortly after actor Dhanush made a similar appeal to students at a school event in Chennai. Speaking about the changing relationship young people have with their mother tongue, Dhanush recalled being more comfortable with Tamil than English during his school days. He observed that while many students today are proficient in English, some struggle to read and write Tamil.
Dhanush also recounted an experience from working on a French production in Belgium. When he told the team that he knew English, their reaction surprised him. He said they believed one's mother tongue should be mastered first, while English was considered an additional skill. “You should know your mother tongue well. English is a bonus, right?” he recalled them telling him.
The actor subsequently urged students not to regard a lack of familiarity with Tamil as something to be proud of, calling it a matter of concern instead. The subject has also been voiced by several other Tamil film personalities over the years. At a Thug Life event, Kamal Haasan famously expressed his affection for the language with the phrase, “Uyire urave Tamizhe.” Other stars from the industry have similarly spoken about preserving Tamil and celebrating its cultural identity.