Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday raised questions over the need to play the full version of Vande Mataram twice during official events.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram amid a controversy in Kerala over the national song, Tharoor said while Vande Mataram deserves respect, making people listen to all five verses at both the beginning and end of programmes was difficult to justify.
“Vande Mataram is the national song and we stand up in respect when it is sung. The first verse, or the first couple of verses, is something most people know by heart,” Tharoor said.
‘An Unnecessary Imposition’
Tharoor said that traditionally, Vande Mataram was sung once at the beginning of an event, while the national anthem was played separately, usually at the end.
“Now they want all five verses to be sung at the beginning of every event and again at the end. I think that is an unnecessary imposition,” the Congress Working Committee member said.
He added that he had no objection to the national song itself and stressed that it should be respected.
“We all respect Vande Mataram. I can happily sing it for you,” he remarked.
Kerala Controversy Over National Song
The remarks come amid a controversy in Kerala regarding the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram during official programmes.
Tharoor said the Kerala government maintained that singing the full song was optional, while Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar appeared to have a different interpretation.
“It may ultimately have to be adjudicated because there is no law passed by Parliament requiring this. It is more a matter of convention,” he said.
‘Difficult to Understand the Rationale’
Recalling a recent book launch event attended by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan in New Delhi, Tharoor said the full song was played at both the start and end of the programme.
“For the audience, standing through a relatively unfamiliar and lengthy song twice became an issue,” he said.
Tharoor argued that the portion of Vande Mataram traditionally sung in public is roughly the same length as the national anthem and has long been accepted.
Calling the row unfortunate, he said he hoped the matter would be resolved amicably.
“I can understand singing it once during ceremonial occasions involving the president, vice president or prime minister. But singing the entire song twice during a short programme is difficult to understand. I don’t see the rationale for it, and it is not particularly efficient either,” he added.
