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HC order on compulsory singing of Vande Mataram sparks row

  •   Fri, Jul 28 2017 10:34:17 AM

Mumbai, Jul 28 (PTI): The Madras High Court ruling on singing of 'Vande Mataram' has triggered a political slugfest in Maharashtra with a BJP MLA demanding its implementation in schools and colleges of the state, while legislators of some other parties have opposed any such move.

Waris Pathan, the MLA of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) from Mumbai, yesterday said he would not sing the national song "even if anyone puts revolver to his head".

The Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra unit president and MLA, Abu Asim Azmi, also said he would not sing it even if he was "thrown out of the country". The reaction comes in the wake of a demand raised by senior BJP MLA Raj Purohit, who, citing the Madras High Court order, said that singing of 'Vande Mataram' should be made mandatory in all schools and colleges across Maharashtra.

The Madras High Court had on Tuesday made singing of the national song mandatory in schools across Tamil Nadu, at least twice a week. Speaking to reporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan here, Purohit, the BJP chief whip in the Assembly, yesterday said he would meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today and seek the latter's intervention to make it compulsory for everybody to sing the national song at any event.

"I will raise the demand in the House as well. I will tell the chief minister that the government should come up with a policy which would make it compulsory for everybody to sing 'Vande Mataram' at the beginning of an event and 'Jana Gana Mana' at the end," Purohit said. Reacting to Purohit's demand, Pathan, who represents the Byculla constituency in south Mumbai, said a particular ideology cannot be imposed on people.

"I will not sing 'Vande Mataram'. My religion as well as law do not allow me to sing it. Even if anyone puts a revolver to my head, I will not sing it. I will oppose the demand in the House," he said. Azmi alleged that BJP was following the instructions of RSS which would eventually polarise the society.

"I am a true follower of Islam. Singing 'Vande Mataram' would be against my religion as well as Constitution. A true Muslim will never sing it. I will also not sing it even if I am thrown out of the country," he told reporters. However, the BJP's otherwise unpredictable ally Shiv Sena backed Purohit.

Condemning the AIMIM and the SP, senior Sena leader and transport minister Diwakar Raote said they are "traitors".

"They need to know that it (Vande Mataram) is a patriotic song which was sung by freedom fighters during the struggle for Independence," he said.

As per the Madras High Court order, private and government schools in the southern state should ensure that their students sing the national song at least twice a week preferably on Monday and Friday.

The order also said the song can also be played in other government and private establishments at least once in a month.

The high court also said that if any person or organisation has difficulty in singing or playing the song, they shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so.
  

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Comment on this article

  • John, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Making Vande Mataram compulsory is wrong for two reasons
    1) Following is the English translation of Vande Mataram
    English Version

    Mother, I bow to thee!
    Rich with thy hurrying streams,
    bright with orchard gleams,
    Cool with thy winds of delight,
    Dark fields waving Mother of might,
    Mother free.
    Glory of moonlight dreams,
    Over thy branches and lordly streams,
    Clad in thy blossoming trees,
    Mother, giver of ease
    Laughing low and sweet!
    Mother I kiss thy feet,
    Speaker sweet and low!
    Mother, to thee I bow.
    Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
    When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands
    And seventy million voices roar
    Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
    With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
    To thee I call Mother and LORD
    Though who savest, arise and save!
    To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
    Back from plain and Sea
    And shook herself free.

    Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
    Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
    Though art love divine, the awe
    In our hearts that conquers death.
    Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
    Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
    Every image made divine
    In our temples is but thine.

    Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
    With her hands that strike and her
    swords of sheen,
    Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
    And the Muse a hundred-toned,
    Pure and perfect without peer,
    Mother lend thine ear,
    Rich with thy hurrying streams,
    Bright with thy orchard gleems,
    Dark of hue O candid-fair

    In thy soul, with jewelled hair
    And thy glorious smile divine,
    Lovilest of all earthly lands,
    Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
    Mother, mother mine!
    Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
    Mother great and free!

    From the above it is quite clear that it is a religious song and cannot be imposed on anybody.

    2) Making it a national song gives communal colour to India’s freedom struggle
    and gives credibility to Pakistan’s claim that Jinna was not responsible for the partition.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mohit, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    What is there to ask political or anybody's permission to sing national anthem. It should be mandatory. Those who are not happy are free to exit the country. Infact you should be proud of your national anthem which is ranked as one of the top national anthem in the world.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ummar, Santhekatte

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    The order also said the song can also be played in other government and private establishments at least once in a month.
    Is singing once in a month makes you patriot ? Singing national song is it good for health ? He is giving decision like doctors prescription. What a stupid judge.

    DisAgree [9] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed, Bangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Not only stupid but imbibed with RSS ideology.

    Since 70 years people are singing Jana Gana Mana, I challenge except Bengali speakers none other know what it really means as a meaning irrespective of being a National Song, same way applies to this Sanskrit origin Vande Mataram song. How can one become patriotic by singing when almost 80% donot the meaning and even if one knows the meaning, you can't prove that one has become patriotic by just mere singing. Patriotism should arise from heart, Patriotism is not just singing, it is something one being honest, loving, non corrupt, distribution harming, supporting (only when it's true) towards the country.

    This Vande Mataram which was sololey written by Bamkin Chandra Chattergee who imbibed ideology of Savarkar etc for Hindu Rastra but not for Freedom Struggle for Indenpendence, so how can even be it called a countries National Song when the country stands tall with people with multiple Religion? How justifying it is asking people of other Religion to sing something which talks of Hindu Rastra of Hindus only but not any other Religion.

    These RSS guys are trying to change the constitution which gives every right to people from all Religion by either hook or crook and by polirising Indian diversified culture by forcibly imbibing their ideologies of Brahmanshahi Manodharm Regime.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Better to take a decision in the matter aftter detailed discussion and consent of all the political; parties

    DisAgree [5] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Jana Gana Mana is more beautiful than Vande Mataram ...

    DisAgree [10] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse


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