‘Vande Mataram’ To Be Played Before National Anthem At Government Events, Schools: Centre

‘Vande Mataram’ To Be Played Before National Anthem At Government Events, Schools: Centre

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has issued fresh guidelines mandating that the national song Vande Mataram be played before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana at all government functions and in schools across the country.

Under the new rules, all individuals must stand when Vande Mataram is played at official events. The directive also extends to civilian award ceremonies, including the Padma awards, and to programmes attended by the President during arrival and departure.

The song will also be played in public spaces such as cinema halls, though standing will not be mandatory in those settings.

Significantly, the government has directed that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram — including the four stanzas that were dropped in 1937 — be rendered.

Sources had indicated last month that the government was considering bringing Vande Mataram under the ambit of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, which currently governs the national anthem. Under this law, any act that prevents or disrupts respect for the anthem — and now the national song — can attract a jail term of up to three years.

Political Flashpoint

The directive is likely to reignite political tensions, especially after a heated exchange between the BJP and the Congress over the song last year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accused India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of opposing portions of Vande Mataram because they could “irritate Muslims”, drawing parallels with Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s position at the time.

The BJP shared excerpts of correspondence between Nehru and other leaders to support its claim. The issue gained traction during discussions marking the 150th anniversary of the song.

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The Congress, however, rejected the allegations. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge described it as “deeply ironic” that those claiming to be guardians of nationalism had historically avoided singing Vande Mataram. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP of selectively quoting Nehru and attempting to politicise the issue ahead of elections.

The controversy has particular resonance in West Bengal, where Assembly elections are expected in the coming months.

The Historical Context

Vande Mataram was penned on November 7, 1875, by Bengali novelist and poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. It was later included in his 1882 novel Anandmath and became a rallying cry for India’s freedom movement.

The poem comprises six stanzas. While the opening verses personify the nation as a nurturing mother, the later stanzas contain explicit references to Hindu goddesses such as Durga, Lakshmi (Kamala), and Saraswati. These invocations describe the nation as both gentle and fierce — a spiritual and martial force.

In 1937, the Congress Working Committee, then led by Nehru, decided that only the first two stanzas would be used at national gatherings. The rationale was that references to specific Hindu deities were viewed by some members of the Muslim community as exclusionary.

The BJP has argued that removing those stanzas reflected divisive politics, with the Prime Minister stating that the decision “sowed the seeds of the nation’s division”, a reference to Partition.

With the new directive restoring all six stanzas to official usage, the government has signalled a significant shift in protocol — one that is likely to remain at the centre of political debate in the weeks ahead.