National Practice: On Centre’s New Guidelines For Vande Mataram
Centre issues new guidelines mandating all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at official events and schools, to be played before the national anthem.
The Union Home Ministry on February 11, in an order, laid out fresh guidelines regarding the national song Vande Mataram. One of these says, the national song is now supposed to be sung at all official events and public functions before the customary singing of the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. This directive supposedly came with the purpose of reclaiming the significance of the national song. Another highlight among these guidelines was the emphasis on singing/playing of the entire song i.e. inclusion of all six of its stanzas. Previously, only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram were officially sung as practiced first by the Nehru Government. BJP and its ideological parent RSS have long upheld the “complete” national song which according to them stands above the national anthem when it comes to originality and more “active” nationalism.
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The Ministry of Education has also been asked to ensure compliance with the directive in school assemblies, cultural programs and other functions. Vande Mataram is undoubtedly an artistic wonder and thus our national song. Hence, it’s significance should be propagated, in times when its uncommon for a person to have the national song by heart. However, the intent behind such directive is also somewhat apparent. Its less for “promotion” of the song, than of Sangh’s much louder agenda. Neither RSS nor BJP has always been at peace with the national anthem and the idea it carries. Though there is no harm with a new practice. The young souls are anyways required to voice Chattopadhyay’s original composition along with the Rahman version which often echoes in the cricket stands.
