Kerala health minister K Muraleedharan on Sunday said that only the first two stanzas of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ will be sung at government events. The clarification came days after a circular issued by the chief secretary asked for the full rendition of the song sparked a row in the state.
The August 6 order issued by chief secretary Bishwanath Sinha had echoed the Union ministry of culture’s circular regarding the observance of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign across the country from August 9 to 17. The order stated that all physical celebrations during the period “shall combine the collective singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ with the hoisting/display of the National Flag..” It also stated the instructions of the Union government “for recitation of Vande Mataram be followed in full.”
The directive regarding the full rendition of the song sparked a controversy in Kerala where the UDF and LDF coalitions have argued that some of the later stanzas of the song have references to Hindu deities and therefore do not appeal to the country’s pluralistic ideals.
Muraleedharan said that while the chief secretary may have organically relayed the Union government’s directives regarding the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’, only the first two stanzas of the song will be sung at government events.
“In the past, only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram are sung at government events in Kerala. We will stick to the same rule. Kerala will not follow the Union government’s directives (on full rendition),” he told reporters.
He said that the swearing-in ceremony of the UDF government in May adhered to the full rendition of the song because the Governor was in attendance. “Since the Governor was present, the central protocol was followed. But at state government functions, we have our own protocol,” he said.
The chief secretary’s order sparked a surprise among government officials as an earlier circular issued by the general administration department on August 4 did not mention the recital of the song as part of events leading up to Independence Day.
In February, the Union government had mandated that Vande Mataram be played or sung in full at all government events.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the chief secretary’s order points to the surrender of the UDF government to the RSS ideology.
“The Constitutent Assembly and leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru have been of the opinion that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram need to be sung. At the UDF government’s swearing in, the song was rendered in full. Despite so much criticism against it, the government has issued such an order. It shows that the state government has surrendered fully to the RSS agenda,” he said.
