The Madras High Court has dismissed the notion of simultaneously celebrating the day of Anusham star in the month of Vaikasi with the birthday of Tiruvalluvar who is said to have authored the revered Tirukkural made up of 1330 couplets of philosophical verses on life.- Justice M. Dhandapani
Justice M Dhandapani further also refused to give any directions to the government of Tamil Nadu to change the date of the annual celebration of ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ which is currently celebrated on the second day of the month of ‘Thai’ to Vaikasi Anusha Natchathiram day, as it is being adopted today.
The judge rejected this petition also filed in 2021 by Samy Thiagarajan the president of the Tiruvalluvar Tirunatkazhagam. He claimed to be a Tamil tutor for 36 years, with a PhD purely focusing on Tamil literature Tirukkural.
He mentioned a Tiruvalluvar temple which was located in Mylapore, Chennai, which is around 600 years OlVetih state sriah augmentation advertisement. He narrated that the temple was controlled by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department and it observes the birthday celebration of the saint-poet on Vaikasi Anusham day.
The court details regarding Tiruvalluvar Tirunatkazhagam were also interesting to note as it was started by Padmasri Subbaya Pillai in the year 1935. It was on Vaikasi Anusham that the birth date was celebrated, which occurred on the 18th of May in the year 1935. State of Tamil Nadu also had its own local Tamil scholar Maramalai Adigalar who had also helped in the celebration.
The petitioner has argued that even Colombo based K.P. Ratnam who was responsible for Tamil Marai Kazhagam had propagated practically everywhere including Sri Lanka this theory of birth anniversary of Tiruvalluvar which the orthodox Tamilians have been practicing is on Vaikasi Anusham and many Tamil lovers have started following it.
This is even a Government Order issued on March 18, 1966 which was subsequent to the first Tiruvalluvar conference issuing another order that ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ will be held on June 2, 1966 which to them was the day of Vaikasi Anusham. However in the following years it was moved to the second day of thai, the litigant said.
On the other hand Advocate General P.S. Raman faced the court and informed it that ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ was observed by the government only to glorify the couplet writer in other words the man who aimed to preach what this literature carries in respect to some fine values of life to its readers.
The A-G stated that the day “Tiruvalluvar day” is not observed as Tiruvalluvar birthday. He added that it is always within the right of the petitioner and others to observe the day in recognition of the birth of the petitioner as they may choose. He said there is no government order prohibiting the celebrating of the birth anniversary of Tiruvalluvar.
When the submissions were completed from both parties, Justice Dhandapani said that he did some self research on the scientific discipline but found no credible evidence regarding the family, religion, birth village or birth date of Tiruvalluvar.
The judge noted that even the documents that the petitioner presented in support of his case were obtained from 1935 and not any earlier, Class v. In the absence of any such authentic material with respect to the birthday no declaration as sought by the writ petitioner could be issued by the court he said.
He also insisted that the inhabitants of the State are under no obligation to change the day of celebration from ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ from Thai to Vaikasi when in fact this has been the specific policy of the government that such a day has been observed not for the birth of the mother poet rather for the veneration of her genius and the works created by her.
