Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana together: Drama at Kozhikode Corporation on Independence Day
During Independence Day celebrations, councillors in Kozhikode Corporation sang the national anthem and song simultaneously amid a political row, with BJP councillors alleging insult and threatening legal action.
During Independence Day celebrations, councillors in Kozhikode Corporation sang the national anthem and song simultaneously amid a political row, with BJP councillors alleging insult and threatening legal action.
During Independence Day celebrations, councillors in Kozhikode Corporation sang the national anthem and song simultaneously amid a political row, with BJP councillors alleging insult and threatening legal action.
Kozhikode: The Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at the Kozhikode Corporation turned into an unusual and awkward spectacle on Saturday, with two groups of elected representatives singing the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and the national song Vande Mataram simultaneously.
The ceremony began around 9.30 am in front of the corporation office near Kozhikode Beach. After hoisting the national flag and delivering his Independence Day message, Mayor O Sadasivan announced that the national anthem would be sung.
As the mayor and councillors of the CPM-led ruling front and Congress-led United Democratic Front began singing Jana Gana Mana, BJP councillors at the venue started singing the full version of Vande Mataram.
Despite the confusion caused by the two songs being sung simultaneously, both groups continued. The mayor and other councillors concluded Jana Gana Mana and left the venue, while BJP councillors continued singing Vande Mataram.
The BJP later accused the ruling front of disrespecting both the national anthem and the national song.
“We had informed the mayor earlier that BJP councillors would sing Vande Mataram at the function. The mayor did not oppose it. We began singing the national song immediately after the flag was hoisted. Only after that did the mayor and other ruling-front councillors start singing Jana Gana Mana. Singing the two songs simultaneously was an insult to both Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram. There is nothing wrong with singing Vande Mataram during an Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony. We do not know why the ruling front decided to sing Jana Gana Mana at the same time,” said T Raneesh, a BJP councillor.
The ruling front, meanwhile, strongly condemned the BJP councillors' decision to sing Vande Mataram while the national anthem was being sung.
“For many years, we have been singing Jana Gana Mana during the flag-hoisting ceremony. This time too, the mayor announced the national anthem and started singing. It was very unfortunate that BJP councillors sang Vande Mataram at the same time. They could have sung it after the national anthem. Singing Vande Mataram along with Jana Gana Mana was disrespectful to the national anthem and created utter confusion at the venue,” said Deputy Mayor Dr S Jayasree.
The incident comes amid a wider political row over the Centre’s Har Ghar Tiranga (HGT) campaign and the commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram. The Union Ministry of Culture has directed that physical events held from August 9 to 17 as part of the campaign should include the collective singing of Vande Mataram along with the hoisting of the national flag.
Vande Mataram was also not sung at the Kerala government’s official Independence Day celebration attended by Chief Minister V D Satheesan. The Kerala General Education Department’s circular on Independence Day celebrations in schools has likewise instructed institutions to hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem, but does not mention Vande Mataram.