THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ministers in Kerala have stated that the national song, Vande Mataram, will not be sung in its entirety at official state government functions. Ministers P.K. Kunjalikutty, K. Muraleedharan, and N. Shamsudeen have taken the stance that the law passed by the central government is not applicable to them. Despite the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passing the legislation and the President giving assent, the ministers maintain that these rules do not apply to them. Meanwhile, Congress has also opposed singing the full version of Vande Mataram, reportedly to appease the Muslim League.
The central government had directed that the national song be sung in full to mark its 150th anniversary. However, this sparked major controversy in several states, including Kerala. Even at government events attended by the Governor, only the first stanza was sung. Following criticism, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and others clarified that there was no existing law mandating the complete rendition of Vande Mataram.
Consequently, the government decided to enact a law through an amendment, granting Vande Mataram the same legal protection and status as the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana.” However, once it became law, the government turned its ire toward the Chief Secretary who issued the order. Although the Centre passed the law, ministers declared that they would continue to sing only the first part as before. The move sparked a controversy, with allegations that the directive came from “Lok Bhavan” (a reference to the central authority). In reality, the Chief Secretary is responsible for issuing instructions to implement laws passed by the central government. It was for this reason that Chief Secretary Viswasanthi Sinha issued a circular mandating that Vande Mataram be sung in its complete form ahead of Independence Day.
Minister K. Muraleedharan stated that the state’s existing protocol would continue, and only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be rendered at government functions. Minister P.K. Kunjalikutty stated that there is no need to sing Vande Mataram in full, adding that the Muslim League’s stance aligns with the position taken by the Congress party at the national level. Minister N. Shamsudeen claimed that the Chief Secretary’s circular was not a decision taken by the state government, but merely a forwarding of a notification from Lok Bhavan.
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