New guidelines make full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram compulsory at government functions and schools
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued fresh guidelines that require to play Vande Mataram before the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, at government functions and in schools across the country. With this decision, the Centre has clearly fixed the sequence in which the national song and the national anthem must be performed at official events.
According to the new protocol, organisers must render Vande Mataram first whenever both songs are part of a programme. They must then play the national anthem. The government has also made it mandatory for everyone present to stand as a mark of respect when the national song is performed.
Full Version Restored
The government has directed officials to render all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at official ceremonies. This decision brings back the four stanzas that the Congress removed in 1937 due to concerns over religious references.
The complete version of the song lasts about three minutes and ten seconds. The restored stanzas include references to Hindu goddesses such as Durga, Lakshmi, also known as Kamala, and Saraswati. These references later became the centre of political debate.
Events Covered Under
The Home Ministry has circulated the new rules to all states, Union Territories, ministries, and constitutional bodies. The directive applies to several official occasions.
Authorities must play the song during civilian award ceremonies such as the Padma awards. They must also include it during the arrival and departure of the President at formal state functions. Officials must play it before and after the President addresses the nation. The same protocol applies during the arrival and departure of Governors and Lieutenant Governors. Organisers must also include it when the national flag is brought on parade. The government may also direct its inclusion at other special events when required.
Officials have encouraged mass singing of Vande Mataram during flag hoisting ceremonies, cultural programmes, and public gatherings attended by ministers and dignitaries. Schools have also been advised to begin the day with community singing of both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.
However, the directive does not require cinema halls to play the song. If a film or documentary features Vande Mataram as part of its content, audiences will not have to stand, as doing so could disrupt the screening.
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When a band performs the national song at official ceremonies, organisers must precede it with a drum roll to signal attention.
Legal Protection Considered
Earlier, sources indicated that the Centre was considering extending the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to the national song. At present, this law applies to the national anthem and provides punishment, including imprisonment of up to three years, for disrupting or preventing respect for it.
Although the government has not yet amended the law, discussions have taken place about granting Vande Mataram similar legal protection.
Political Tensions Return
The move has once again triggered political tensions between the BJP and the Congress. The issue had already led to sharp exchanges last year during Parliament discussions marking the 150th anniversary of the song’s composition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accused former(first) Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of aligning with Muhammad Ali Jinnah in opposing parts of the song on the grounds that they might offend Muslims. The BJP later cited Nehru’s letters to support its position, which intensified the debate.
The controversy centres on the four stanzas that the Congress removed in 1937. At that time, the Congress argued that explicit references to Hindu deities in those verses were not acceptable to sections of the Muslim community and could appear exclusionary.
The BJP maintains that the deletion reflected divisive politics. Prime Minister Modi has previously said that dropping those verses sowed the seeds of the nation’s division, referring to the events that led to Partition.
In response, Congress leaders have accused the BJP and the RSS of politicising the issue. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said it was ironic that those who claim to champion nationalism question others’ commitment to the national song. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP of selectively quoting Nehru’s writings for political gain, especially with elections in West Bengal approaching.
Freedom Movement Legacy
On November 7, 1875, Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. He later published it in his 1882 novel Anandmath. The song went on to become a powerful rallying cry during India’s freedom struggle and inspired many independence activists.
In its six stanzas, Chatterjee portrays the nation as a divine mother figure who is nurturing yet powerful. He blends imagery of natural beauty with spiritual symbolism throughout the composition.
After Independence in 1950, authorities adopted only the first two stanzas as the official National Song to avoid controversy over the later verses.
With the Centre now restoring all six stanzas for official ceremonies, the long standing debate over history, religion, and nationalism appears set to resurface once again.
