Singing all six verses of Vande Mataram compulsory across MP:Congress MLA opposes move, calls curbs on religious freedom unacceptable

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced that all six verses of the national song Vande Mataram will now be sung mandatorily in all educational institutions, madrasas and government programmes across the state. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to ensure immediate implementation of the decision. The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the move would strengthen national consciousness. “The Vande Mataram mantra infused energy into the freedom struggle and strengthened our soldiers. Making it mandatory is commendable. This mantra will now echo everywhere,” Mr. Yadav said. He added that Vande Mataram would be sung with respect before Jana Gana Mana at every official programme, calling it a “true tribute to our immortal martyrs”. Congress raises objection, cites Article 25 The announcement drew sharp reactions from the Opposition. Congress MLA Arif Masood said the issue was not about respect for the national song but about religious freedom guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution. “India is a democratic country. There is no dispute about respecting Vande Mataram. The concern is with certain lines that, in our view, restrict religious freedom,” Mr. Masood said. He alleged that those most vocal in the debate often mock the Constitution itself. He added that objections to some verses had been raised earlier as well and that the Muslim Personal Law Board was examining the latest decision. “Until the Board forms its opinion, we will not take a final decision,” he said, reiterating that restrictions on religious freedom were unacceptable. Education Minister: law applies equally School Education Minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh defended the move, stating that the law is equal for all institutions. “Whether it is a madrasa or any other school, anyone who is a citizen must follow the nation’s law,” he said. The Minister also criticised the Congress, saying the party did not have exclusive ownership of the freedom struggle. He argued that the decision should have been taken earlier to connect the younger generation with nationalism. Why the six verses are contentious Until now, only the first verse of Vande Mataram was commonly sung at official functions. The present controversy centres on making all six verses compulsory. Some leaders from the Muslim community argue that the later verses contain imagery of worship of the motherland, which they say conflicts with Islamic principles of monotheism. It is this concern that Mr. Masood and the Personal Law Board have placed under the scope of “study” and “religious freedom”. Origins of Vande Mataram Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on November 7, 1875, on the occasion of Akshaya Navami. It was later published in 1882 in his magazine Bangadarshan as part of the novel Anandmath. The song was first sung publicly at a national platform by Rabindranath Tagore during the Indian National Congress session in 1896, an event remembered for the emotional response it evoked among delegates. The phrase Vande Mataram, derived from Sanskrit, means “O Mother, I bow to you”, and it became a rallying cry for freedom fighters during the anti-colonial movement. Why four stanzas were dropped earlier According to historian Sabyasachi Bhattacharya’s book Vande Mataram: The Biography of a Song, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to Subhas Chandra Bose on October 20, 1937, noting that the song’s background and language made many Muslims uncomfortable and that its Sanskritised language was difficult to understand. With communal tensions rising, Nehru sought the opinion of Rabindranath Tagore. On October 22, 1937, the Congress Working Committee decided to retain only the first two stanzas of the original six. The meeting was attended by senior leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarojini Naidu. The current decision by the Madhya Pradesh government to mandate all six verses has revived that historical debate, placing nationalism and constitutional freedoms once again at the centre of public discourse.