Several private schools in and around Kolkata reopened on Monday, introducing the national song 'Vande Mataram' into their morning assemblies. This move came after the state government issued an order making the song compulsory for state-run schools. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had also requested private institutions to incorporate the song.
Implementation in Schools
On the first day, some schools shared the lyrics of the song, while others distributed printouts to students standing in queues for the morning assembly. Terence John, director of education and development for the Julien Day Group of Schools, explained that their schools would reopen on Tuesday and introduce the national song. “We have already included the song,” he said. “Initially, a group of students was trained, and the music teachers will lead it in the assembly. Because it is a tough song—unlike our national anthem, which is very easy to memorize—and is in the form of a Sanskrit shloka, it will be difficult for the mass of students to learn. So, on Tuesday, the first day of reopening, they will practice, and we will perform it the next day, on Wednesday.”
Different Approaches
Some schools chose to sing only the first two stanzas, which are well-known, while others sang the full song. Many schools assigned music teachers the responsibility of teaching the song to students. At Delhi Public School Newtown, the entire school orchestra played the song, with both teachers and students participating. Principal Ambica Mehra said, “We have introduced the national song into our morning assembly and have started training our children because they need to learn the lyrics first to sing it properly. Today, students from classes 1 to 12 participated in the assembly. For the first day, we sang only the first two stanzas; once they learn the other stanzas, we will eventually include those portions.”
Emphasizing Significance
Rammohan Mission School principal Sujoy Biswas noted that on the first day, they distributed printouts of the lyrics and played the song over the microphone. “First, we explained the significance of the song and distributed printouts of the lyrics to each student to assist them in singing it properly. We motivated our children and told them to feel proud to be citizens of this country, as we are praising our motherland and offering our greatest gratitude to her. We also told them to respect the motherland and revere her like a deity.”
National English School had introduced the song immediately after the government order was released, implementing it before the summer break. Principal Mousumi Saha said, “We created a roster that includes 'Vande Mataram' in the morning assembly two days a week, while on the other two days, we sing our school song. This is not just a song, but something that students should feel from within.”
