Kerala opposition alleges RSS agenda behind Vande Mataram recital order

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala is facing fresh allegations from the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) over a directive that mandates the recital of the full version of Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations.

The directive, issued by Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha on August 6, follows instructions from the Union Ministry of Culture. The ministry had communicated that the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, to be observed from August 9 to 17, would be integrated with the third phase of the nationwide commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The letter states that all physical celebrations during this period must include collective singing of Vande Mataram along with hoisting of the National Flag, and that the Union government's instructions for recitation would be followed in full.

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the UDF government had "completely surrendered" to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda. He argued that singing the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram is not wrong, but the complete song, which includes references to deities of a specific religion, goes against the secular spirit of the country. He noted that the Constituent Assembly and leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru had favoured singing only the first two stanzas, a practice that continued until the current government assumed office.

CPI(M) Central Committee member T.M. Thomas Isaac said that while states might sometimes be compelled to follow central directives in a federal system, Kerala should at least register a protest. CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan said the order reinforced the public perception that the UDF government acts as an ideological proxy for the Union government's Hindutva agenda. He also accused the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of falling in line without protest.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said he was unaware of the directive, while Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said only two stanzas would be sung at state government events. Education Minister N. Shamsudheen, from the IUML, claimed that the state would follow its own convention, but other IUML leaders appeared to take divergent stands on the issue.

The controversy comes after the Union government made it mandatory in February to play or sing the full song at all government events. In July, Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, making intentional insult to Vande Mataram a punishable offence. Notably, an earlier circular from the General Administration Department on August 4 did not mention any Vande Mataram recital as part of Independence Day celebrations.

Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is India's national song. The first two stanzas are traditionally sung, but the later stanzas have been a point of contention due to their references to Hindu deities. This has led to debates about their recital in official functions.

The directive specifies the Local Self-Government Department and the General Education Department as the nodal agencies for the programme. The Chief Minister's office has not yet made an official statement on the matter. The directive is the latest in a series of decisions by the UDF government that critics have described as following a pro-Sangh Parivar line.