The West Bengal government has made the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory during morning assemblies in all state-run schools, including government, aided, and recognised madrassas. A notice issued by the school education department directed schools to ensure that the national song is sung before classes begin every day.
Government Directive
The notice stated: “The singing of ‘Vande Mataram' during morning assembly prayers prior to the start of classes should be made mandatory so that ‘Vande Mataram' is sung by all students in all schools in the state with immediate effect.” This move follows a directive by the Union home ministry issued in January, which said “Vande Mataram” should be sung to mark 150 years of the national song.
Previous State Song Requirement
The previous state government had made “Banglar mati Banglar jal” compulsory during morning assemblies in state schools. Some school heads expressed confusion over whether the state song would continue alongside “Vande Mataram” and the National Anthem.
“We cannot drop the National Anthem, as it is a must. Now our first song will be ‘Vande Mataram', and adding the state song will take more time, which will delay classes. Though the notice did not mention anything about the state song, retaining students for three songs is not an easy task,” a school head said.
Official Clarification
An education department official clarified that the new instruction only referred to “Vande Mataram”. “We have been asked to introduce ‘Vande Mataram' as school prayer, but there is no mention of the state song,” the official said.
Some schools have already begun implementing the directive. Jadavpur Vidyapith headmaster Partha Pratim Baidya said: “Since last week, we have been singing ‘Vande Mataram' before the National Anthem.” Jodhpur Park Boys' School headmaster Amit Sen Majumder said the school would implement the order after reopening following the summer vacation.
Mitra Institution, Bhawanipur headmaster Raja Dey said the school had sought clarification from the education department. “We sought clarification from the school education department to understand whether all three songs are mandatory or we will drop the state song. We are expecting a clarification before the summer break ends,” he said.
