The Congress government of Karnataka has issued an order standardising the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ at state government programmes and official functions. The song, it added, played an important role in fostering nationalism, unity and patriotism during India’s freedom movement.
Only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ should be sung at Karnataka government programmes, the order said.
“The State Government has considered it necessary to maintain uniformity, respect, and proper protocol for the playing/singing of the national song “Vande Mataram”,” read the order from the Karnataka government
The decision of the DK Shivakumar government reflects the party’s firm stance opposing the Union Home Ministry’s order that the national song be sung in full at official events. In February, the Centre had made it mandatory to sing the full Vande Mataram at public gatherings and official events and passed a Bill in Parliament to make it a criminal offence to disrupt or prevent the singing of the national song. Last month, the Congress Working Committee decided to follow its 1937 resolution that only the first two stanzas will be sung at party events. The Congress hit back saying its stand on Vande Mataram is in line with the top leadership’s decision in 1937 — made in presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has issued guidelines on the official version of the national song “Vande Mataram” and its singing or playing at various government and public functions, to be followed as appropriate for the occasion,” read a rough translation of the order issued in Kannada. “The State Government has considered it necessary to maintain uniformity, respect, and proper protocol for the playing/singing of the national song “Vande Mataram” in accordance with the nature and context of various government programs and ceremonies held in the state,” it added. In August, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had drawn criticism for singing the “incomplete” version of Vande Mataram at an event in Goa. In response to BJP accusations of appeasement, he said he had sung the version sung by Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. If singing this version was a crime, police cases should be filed against those leaders too, he had told reporters.
