Now Reading: Kerala refuses to sing full Vande Mataram, hits back at Centre
-
01
Kerala refuses to sing full Vande Mataram, hits back at Centre
Kerala will continue to sing only the first two couplets of Vande Mataram despite the Centre's directive for the full rendition, state Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Sunday. The directive, issued…
The Story in Brief
Kerala will continue to sing only the first two couplets of Vande Mataram despite the Centre's directive for the full rendition, state Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Sunday. The directive, issued by Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha on August 6, said official instructions for recitation, including a six-stanza version, must be followed in full during the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign from August 9 to 17.
Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the full song will not be sung in the state in this lifetime. The CPI(M) attacked the government for issuing the circular, with leader Pinarayi Vijayan alleging surrender to the RSS agenda. The governor's office denied issuing instructions, the reports say.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides are indulging in theatre. Kerala is not defending secularism by clipping a song, and the Centre is not strengthening unity by ordering six stanzas. The full version has controversial verses, but refusing it wholesale feeds the national versus regional trap. The real test comes on August 15 at official parades. Will any chief minister actually stop the singing? And does Parliament's new law penalising disrespect make such orders enforceable? Watch the first official event, not the slogans.
Sources (3): thefederal.com, thenewsminute.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
