Sanskrit invocation song at IIT Madras irks TN leaders
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu political groups took offence to a rendition of a Sanskrit invocation song and not the traditional Tamil at an event in IIT Madras on Monday, alleging that it was done to snub the state’s language and people.
IIT Madras director Bhaskar Ramamoorthy, however, said there was no scope for any controversy, and it was up to the students what they came up with.
Students sang Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smarami, penned by Muthuswami Dikshithar, at the start of the foundation stone laying ceremony of National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts to be set up along with the institute.
Union minister of road transport and highways, shipping and water resources, Nitin Gadkari, and Union minister of state for finance, Pon Radhakrishnan, attended the function.
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko alleged this was “a calculated insult” of Tamil and Tamils by the Bjp-led central government. “It hurt Tamil pride that the Tamil anthem (Tamizh Thai Vazhthu — invocation song of mother Tamil penned by Manomaniam Sundaram Pillai) was not played but a prayer song was sung. It is nothing but imposition of Hindi through Sanskrit.”
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader S Ramadoss, too, saw the rendition of the Sanskrit song as a snub. “It is condemnable not to sing Tamizh Thai Vazthu.”
At government functions in the state, only Tamil Thai Vazhthu is the invocation song.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, however, told a TV channel, “It is a central government institute, so it is their prerogative what songs to sing.”
Ramamoorthy said, “You must appreciate this is an engineering college and when we go out to ask who will sing the invocation song, few hands go up. So, these people came forward and sang what they know.” He said there were instances of students signing in Marathi and other languages, too. “We do not have a team trained to sing songs.”