Now Reading: Pinarayi Vijayan asks Kerala to drop Vande Mataram order
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Pinarayi Vijayan asks Kerala to drop Vande Mataram order
Kerala Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday demanded the UDF government withdraw its order to sing the full version of Vande Mataram on Independence Day. He said only the opening stanzas align…
The Story in Brief
Kerala Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday demanded the UDF government withdraw its order to sing the full version of Vande Mataram on Independence Day. He said only the opening stanzas align with secularism and called the move a surrender to the RSS agenda. The order, issued by Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha on August 6, follows a Union Ministry communication integrating the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign with the 150th year of Vande Mataram.
The Union government made full recitation mandatory in February, and Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill on July 30. Ministers gave conflicting statements: Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said only two stanzas would be sung, while Education Minister N. Shamsudheen said the state merely forwarded central directives. IUML leaders appeared split, with some questioning the policy.
The Indian Opinion
The Vande Mataram row shows how a procedural directive can fuel political heat. The LDF's charge of RSS surrender may be overstated, many states follow central campaign guidelines. But the UDF government's inconsistent responses, with ministers giving conflicting versions, has needlessly muddied the waters. Rather than posturing, the Chief Minister should clarify whether the directive marks a policy change from the long-standing practice of singing only the first two stanzas. That would settle the matter.
Sources (2): indiatoday.in, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
