Kolkata, 21 May. The BJP government led by Shabhendu Adhikari in West Bengal has issued a new order. Under this, after schools, now singing ‘Vande Mataram’ has been made mandatory in all the madrassas under the Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education Department of the state.
The new directive comes just a week after the state government made singing Vande Mataram mandatory in all schools in West Bengal. According to the government order, this rule will be immediately applicable to government model madrassas, government aided and unaided madrassas. After the new order issued on Wednesday (May 19), it will now be necessary to sing Vande Mataram in the morning prayer meeting (assembly) before the start of classes.
If seen, the West Bengal government has extended the rule of singing Vande Mataram in madrassas across the state, making it mandatory to sing the national anthem in the morning assembly in all recognized institutions under the Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education Department.
Earlier, the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and poet Ghulam Mustafa’s ‘Anant Asim Premmay Tumi’ (Bengali song) were sung during morning prayers in madrassas. Now, after implementing this order, all the madrasas will have to submit its report to the department.
Overall, this is considered to be another big decision related to education by Shubhendu Adhikari’s government. Earlier, Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari had said in a social media post, ‘Reversing the previous instruction, the West Bengal government has with immediate effect made it mandatory for all schools under the School Education Department to sing the Indian national song Vande Mataram during the school assembly or morning prayers before the start of classes.’
It is notable that Vande Mataram has been a strong symbol in India’s political and cultural conversations for decades. The song was used extensively by freedom fighters during India’s fight against the British Raj and later became associated with nationalist movements.
This issue again came into political limelight before the assembly elections.
Last February, the Central Government had given Vande Mataram equal status to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. After that decision, it became mandatory to sing all six verses of this song along with the national anthem in government programs and school programs. This incident started a new debate in different states and political parties.
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