3 min learnThiruvananthapuramUp to date: Aug 16, 2026 04:30 AM IST
Kerala’s Congress-led United Democratic Alliance determined to skip Vande Mataram on the state’s official Independence Day perform on Saturday, defying the central government’s directive to sing the full six-stanza version of the nationwide music. This got here regardless of Congress headquarters in Delhi and official capabilities within the party-ruled states of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh complying with the directive.
This comes after Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha forwarded a central authorities communication to the state’s common training and native self-government departments to have the complete model of Vande Mataram sung as a part of its “Har Ghar Tiranga” marketing campaign.
The communication led to a backlash, with the Opposition accusing the UDF of “toeing the Sangh Parivar line”. In response, the state’s V D Satheesan authorities had mentioned that its personal stand “will probably be made clear at Independence Day celebrations”.
Considerably, regardless of the federal government skipping the music on the state perform, Vande Mataram was sung at occasions on the Lok Bhavan and likewise within the BJP-ruled Thiruvananthapuram municipal company. In the meantime, the distinction within the stance of the state’s political events turned stark at Independence Day celebrations on the Kozhikode Municipal Company, the place BJP councillors recited Vande Mataram on the identical time that the civic physique’s ruling CPI(M) sang the nationwide anthem.
Following the central communication, a number of colleges in Kerala listed Vande Mataram as a part of their Independence Day programme. However a round from the final training division to all instructional establishments on August 11 directed all colleges to hoist the nationwide flag and recite the nationwide anthem on the I-Day perform with out mentioning Vande Mataram.
The final two weeks have been rife with suspense over whether or not the V D Satheesan authorities will permit the recital of Vande Mataram throughout the official perform in Kerala. The BJP seized upon the problem, claiming that the Congress was appearing on the behest of ally Indian Union Muslim League, which has the ministries of training and native self-government within the present authorities.
The BJP additionally introduced that it might sing Vande Mataram in its entirety at 15,000 places in Kerala, framing it as “a robust defence in opposition to forces which give assist for anti-national components”.
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The Vande Mataram controversy has been haunting the Congress authorities in Kerala for the reason that day it assumed workplace in Might this 12 months. The music was sung in its entirety throughout the Cupboard’s swearing-in on Might 18. For his half, Chief Minister V D Satheesan had justified the choice, saying Lok Bhavan had organised the ceremony.
With that controversy in thoughts, the federal government didn’t play the complete model of Vande Mataram throughout the first session of the Meeting – a transfer that Lok Bhavan subsequently described as a violation of protocol.
