Vande Mataram row: Kerala Chief Secretary's letter only technical procedure, GAD circular to be followed, say officials
Kerala's government downplayed a political row over the 'Vande Mataram' song, citing it as a technicality, as central directives urged collective singing during the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
Kerala's government downplayed a political row over the 'Vande Mataram' song, citing it as a technicality, as central directives urged collective singing during the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
Kerala's government downplayed a political row over the 'Vande Mataram' song, citing it as a technicality, as central directives urged collective singing during the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
While the letter sent by the Kerala Chief Secretary Biswanath Sinha regarding the Har Ghar Tiranga (HGT) campaign and commemoration of 150 years of the National Song 'Vande Mataram' has sparked a political row, the state government is trying to play down the episode as a mere technical procedure.
The Chief Secretary sent a letter on August 6, appointing the Principal Secretary, LSGD and the Director of General Education as the State Nodal Officers for the HGT campaign in the state, scheduled from August 9 to 17. He quoted a communication from the Ministry of Culture, which said all the physical celebrations during the period shall combine the collective singing of 'Vande Mataram' with the hoisting of the National Flag. It was also directed that the instructions of the Government of India for recitation of 'Vande Mataram' will be followed in full.
In February 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a set of guidelines according to which all six stanzas of Vande Mataram were presented as the official version. The playing time of the song is approximately 3 minutes and 10 seconds. The circular was issued contrary to the decision of the Constituent Assembly, which had adopted only the two-stanza version as the National Song to uphold secular values.
The rendition of all the six stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' during the swearing-in ceremony of the UDF government had kicked up a controversy, with the CPM alleging that the UDF government exhibited pro-right leanings by allowing the full rendition of the National Song. Later, during the Governor's address on May 29, the Legislature Secretariat opposed the full rendition of the National Song, and it was limited to two stanzas in the assembly. Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar expressed his displeasure over the truncated version of 'Vande Mataram'. While CPM backed the UDF government on the issue, the BJP called it an insult to the constitution and official protocol.
Onmanorama spoke to officials associated with the Office of the LSGD Minister and the Chief Minister's Office, and they said the Chief Secretary only passed on a communication from the centre to the officials concerned. "Whether to sing Vande Mataram in full or not during the HGT campaign is a political decision. What happened is just a technicality," officials said.
The government sources added that the General Administration (Protocol) department has already issued a set of guidelines for the Independence Day celebrations and only that needs to be followed. The circular issued by the GAD on August 4 lays down general guidelines and doesn't specify full rendition of the National Song.
The row over 'Vande Mataram' has erupted in Kerala, two days after the President granted assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026. The Act expands the scope of penal provisions under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 to cover the National Song (Vande Mataram) alongside the National Anthem.
As per the provisions of the Act, any person who intentionally prevents the singing of the National Anthem or the National Song; or causes disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.