Kerala will sing only the first two stanzas [1] of the national song Vande Mataram at state government events, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said Sunday.
The decision follows a political dispute over whether the state should follow a central government directive to perform the song in its entirety. The row highlights ongoing tensions between regional administration and central directives regarding national symbols.
Muraleedharan said the state intends to maintain existing practices to avoid political controversy. The move comes after opposition groups criticized the government for allegedly following the line of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when considering the full version of the song.
"Only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at government events," Muraleedharan said [1].
The minister said the shorter version is necessary to ensure inclusivity among the state's diverse population. "We cannot sing the full Vande Mataram; the two-stanza version respects the sentiments of all sections," Muraleedharan said [3].
This disagreement surfaces as India prepares for Independence Day celebrations. The state's decision coincides with the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, which runs from Aug. 9 to Aug. 17 [2]. This year also marks the 150th anniversary [2] of the composition of Vande Mataram.
While some reports suggested the United Democratic Front (UDF) government initially faced criticism for a directive to sing the full version, the administration appears to have walked back that position. The government now maintains that the two-stanza rendition is the standard for official state functions.
“Only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at government events.”
The dispute over Vande Mataram reflects a broader struggle in India between centralized national identity and regional sensitivities. By limiting the rendition to the first two stanzas, the Kerala government is attempting to balance national patriotism with the need to avoid alienating minority communities who may find specific later verses of the song problematic.
