Jayalalitha Government wipes out an insult on Hindus

Jayalalitha Government got a pat on its back for the removal of an insult heaped on Tamilnadu. Chief Minister Jayalalitha announced on the floor of the house that, "It is not correct to change by fiat centuries-long belief and customs of the people." CM Jayalalithaa said it would only be appropriate to rescind the law honouring people's opinion. "I would like to place on record that it would only be proper to repeal the law. It hurt the sentiments of the people, violated traditions and is of no use to anyone."

She said even though the DMK government claimed that it enacted the law after Tamil scholars unanimously expressed their opinion in favour of celebrating Tamil New Year on the first day of Thai, Tamil people continued to celebrate it on Chithirai the last three years. As per the Tamil calendar, Chithirai was the first month and it was done based on the movement of the Sun. "Chithirai covers the Sun's transit through mesha. It is said our ancestors selected Chithirai as the first month since the year should begin with spring. It is based on astronomy and the wheel of seasons. One of the ancient Tamil epics, 'Seevaka Chinthamani', refers to this period as the first season of the year." 

During the previous DMK rule the appeased CM M Karunanidhi imposed on the Tamil population a 'New year'. Over centuries Tamilians had been observing the first of Chitthirai (falling on 13/14 April) as 'Tamil Years' Day'. Karunanidhi declared by an executive dictat that hereafter the Pongal day (falling on 13/14 Jan.) as the tamil new years day. This was a totally unwarranted change and was viewed as an insult on the belief of tamils, i.e. hindus. 

The Tamil New Year follows the Nirayanam vernal equinox and generally falls either on April 13 or 14 of the Gregorian year. April 13 or 14 marks the first day of the traditional Tamil calendar and is a public holiday in both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Tropical vernal equinox fall around 22 March, and adding 23 degrees of trepidation or oscillation to it, we get the Hindu sidereal or Nirayana Mesha Sankranti (Sun's transition into Nirayana Aries).

Hence, the Tamil calendar begins on the same date observed by most traditional calendars in India as in Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Tripura etc. not to mention Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The 60-year cycle is ancient and is observed by most traditional calendars of India and China, and is related to 5 revolutions of Jupiter, or to 60-year orbit of Nakshatras (stars) as described in the Surya Siddhanta.