School students sing RSS song at Vande Bharat launch: Kerala Education Minister orders probe

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the incident where students of Saraswathi Vidyanikethan Public School, Elamakkara in Ernakulam, sang an RSS song during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express.

Calling it a serious issue, Sivankutty said, “Using children for political purposes or to promote the communal agenda of any particular group during government events is a violation of constitutional principles.” He has directed the Director of Public Education to submit a detailed report on the matter immediately. The minister added that the Kerala government will ensure the protection of the country’s secular values and take further action based on the report.

The controversy erupted on Saturday after Southern Railway posted a video of the performance on its official X handle. The post was later deleted but subsequently re-uploaded with a clarification that the students had sung their “school song.” Southern Railway also shared an English translation of part of the song, which begins, “To worship Bharatambha on this supremely holy land…”

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident, calling the action of the Southern Railway “highly deplorable.” He said, “Including the song of the RSS—an organisation that constantly spreads communal hatred and divisive politics—in an official government event is a violation of constitutional principles.”

Vijayan criticised the Southern Railway for sharing the “Gana Geetham” as a patriotic song, saying it not only made itself a subject of ridicule but also insulted the Indian national movement. “The Railways, which once stood as a pillar of India’s secular nationalism during the freedom struggle, is now seen aligning with the communal agenda of the RSS. What was witnessed at the Vande Bharat inauguration was an attempt to smuggle in the ideology of aggressive Hindutva,” he said, urging people to recognise and protest against such efforts.

Meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP leader George Kurian defended the performance, calling it a “simple group song.” He said, “The first line talks about sacred rivers, trees, and orchards, followed by offering flowers to the motherland. Where does communalism come into this?” Kurian added that the song mentions figures like Bhagat Singh, Rani of Jhansi, Sree Narayana Guru, and Swami Ramdas, and that there is no reference to Hinduism in it.

Actor-politician and Union Minister Suresh Gopi also dismissed the controversy, saying, “The students performed sincerely as part of a celebration. It’s not a song of terrorism, so there’s no need to overreact.”