Kerala minister rejects Centre’s Vande Mataram directive, say full song won’t be sung

Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan and Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Sunday (August 9) said that the full version of Vande Mataram will not be sung in Kerala.

Muraleedharan told reporters that in Kerala, as always, only the first two couplets of the national song will be sung. “In all state government programmes only the first two couplets were sung in the past, and that practice will continue even now,” he said.

Unnithan said that the full rendition of Vande Mataram will not take place in Kerala “in this lifetime”. He also said, while speaking to a TV channel, that while he was unaware of any direction by the Chief Secretary for the complete rendition of the national song, it will not be sung in full “even if Narendra Modi threatens to shoot us down”.

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“It will be rendered in the manner it has been sung till now. Nothing more will be sung,” he asserted.

Kerala minister resents directive

Both of them responded to an August 6 letter of Kerala Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha, which said that the 2026 edition of the campaign, launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, had been integrated with the third phase of the nationwide commemoration of 150 years of the National Song Vande Mataram, as approved by the National Implementation Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Accordingly, all physical celebrations during the period would combine collective singing of Vande Mataram with the hoisting or display of the National Flag, while digital participation would be routed through the Har Ghar Tiranga portal, where citizens could upload their “Selfie with Tricolour”, the letter has said.

The letter was issued following a communication from the Union Ministry of Culture regarding the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, which will be observed from August 9 to 17 this year. It has also said the Government of India’s instructions regarding the recitation of Vande Mataram would be followed in full.

Muraleedharan said that the chief secretary sometimes issues circulars in connection with central government directions as he is duty-bound to do so. “But Kerala will not accept it. We will continue with our earlier system. We will follow the same old protocol in all state government events or programmes. Only the first two couplets will be sung,” he asserted.

‘No central govt protocol in Kerala events’

The minister further said that the full rendition of the national song took place during the oath-taking ceremony as it was held in the presence of the Governor. He said that in all states, central government protocol is followed in programmes attended by the Governor.

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“But central government protocol will not be followed in any Kerala government programmes. Instead, our protocol will be followed,” he emphasised.

Unnithan, while speaking to the media, also alleged that the Lok Bhavans have become the hub of “low-level politics and Governors are now working to sabotage democracy with money power”.

The Opposition CPI(M) too has criticised the issuance of the letter directing full rendition of the national song and demanded its withdrawal. It also alleged that the state government was surrendering to the RSS agenda by issuing such directions.

(With agency inputs)