The West Bengal school education department has issued a notice mandating the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ during the morning assembly in all state schools with immediate effect. The directive aims to honour the 150 years of the National Song, following a January notice from the Union ministry of home affairs.
Confusion Among School Heads
School heads are now confused as the previous government had made the state song ‘Banglar mati Banglar jal’ mandatory during the morning assembly. The new notice does not mention the state song, leaving schools unsure whether to continue singing it. Many heads expressed that managing three songs—‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Banglar mati’, and the National Anthem—within the morning assembly time is challenging.
Time Constraints
“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,” said a school head.
Implementation in Schools
Some schools have already started implementing the order. 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 stated, “We will implement the order once the school reopens after the summer vacation.”
Seeking Clarification
Mitra Institution, Bhawanipur headmaster Raja Dey said, “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.”
An education department official clarified, “We have been asked to introduce ‘Vande Mataram’ as school prayer, but there is no mention of the state song.”
