The Union Home Ministry has issued new guidelines for singing the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, saying that all six stanzas must be performed at official events and audiences should stand in respect. The full version, which lasts 3 minutes and 10 seconds, includes the four stanzas that were removed in 1937 and is now the official version for ceremonial occasions.
According to the Ministry, whenever Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, are played together, the national song should be sung first. “Whenever the official version of the national song is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, it is not expected to stand during newsreels or documentaries, as this could create confusion and disrupt the viewing,” the Ministry said.
The guidelines specify that the song must be played or sung at important events, such as the unfurling of the national flag, the arrival or departure of the President, and speeches by governors. It also recommends mass singing at cultural programs, public ceremonies, and school assemblies to encourage participation. “School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the National Song, National Anthem, and promoting respect for the National Flag among students,” the Ministry said.
Vande Mataram, written by Bengali poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s, was adopted by the freedom movement and officially recognised in 1950. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the song’s history in Parliament, saying, “Vande Mataram was divided first, and then the country was divided,” accusing Congress of weakening the song’s original meaning.
