Respect customs followed in each region of country: RBI on Tamil anthem row

Tamil Thaai Vazhthu had been declared as the State Song by the government mandating that those present, except for pregnant women and the differently abled, should remain standing during its rendition

A day after a row erupted over some of its staff reportedly not standing up when Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, the Tamil anthem, was played during the Republic Day celebrations at its office here, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday said it respects the customs and practices followed in each region of the country and assured its stance with the Tamil Nadu government as well.

Tamil Thaai Vazhthu, an invocation song sung in praise of Mother Tamil, had been declared as the State Song by the government last month, mandating that those present, except for pregnant women and the differently abled, should remain standing during its rendition.

RBI said in a statement the song was sung on the occasion of the Republic Day on Wednesday as a "mark of deference for the Tamil culture and language."

"However, subsequently, in the commotion that ensued, certain unnecessary statements concerning the song had been made, which were uncalled for and regrettable.

We are aware that Tamil Thaai Vazhthu is the State Song of Tamil Nadu. We wish to reiterate that, as a regulatory body, we respect the customs and practices followed in each region of the country," the central bank said.

It said representatives of the RBI's regional office here led by the Regional Director S M N Swamy called on state Finance Minister P Thiaga Rajan and "assured our stance in this regard.