With the first session of the new year and possibly the last for the current Tamil Nadu Assembly is set to commence on Tuesday but uncertainty looms over whether Governor R.N. Ravi, who has been at loggerheads with the M.K. Stalin-led elected government, will deliver the customary address to the House.
Traditionally, the Governor delivers the opening address in English, prepared by the State government and forwarded to him, after which the Speaker reads out the Tamil version. The proceedings of the opening day usually conclude with this address.
Governor Ravi read out the full text of the address only in 2022. As relations between Raj Bhavan and the elected government have deteriorated due to tussles on multiple fronts, he has not delivered the address in full since then.
In 2023, he skipped references to secularism, Self-Respect, and women empowerment, as well as the names of Periyar (E.V. Ramasamy), Anna (C.N. Annadurai), Ambedkar, and Kalaignar (M. Karunanidhi). Chief Minister Stalin subsequently made it clear that the omitted portions would nevertheless be treated as part of the address.
In 2024, the Governor staged a walkout after delivering what was termed the shortest-ever address, just before the national anthem was to be played. In 2025, he again walked out without delivering the customary address, citing that his request to play the national anthem at the commencement of the session had not been accepted.
However, the long-established tradition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly is to play the state anthem, Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Invocation to Mother Tamil), at the beginning of the session and the national anthem at the conclusion of the day’s proceedings.
These incidents triggered a sharp exchange between the Chief Minister and the Governor. Stalin described the Governor’s conduct as “childish,” stating that it had become his habit to violate established conventions and practices. Raj Bhavan, on the other hand, said that the Governor left the House in deep anguish, alleging that the Constitution of India and the national anthem had once again been insulted in the Assembly.
With no signs of a thaw in relations between the State government and Raj Bhavan, uncertainty continues to prevail over whether the Governor will deliver the address this time.