Prime Minister Modis’s remarks linking the omission of certain parts of Vande Mataram to the Partition of India criticised
NEW DELHI – Sharply objecting to directives issued by some state education authorities making it mandatory for students and parents to sing Vande Mataram and record it on video, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction) has said such orders violate the constitutional right to religious freedom and set a dangerous precedent for civil liberties.
Jamiat, one of the prominent Muslim organisations, also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks linking the omission of certain parts of Vande Mataram to the Partition of India, calling them “misleading” and “historically inaccurate.”
In a statement issued here on Monday, Jamiat chief Maulana Mahmood Madani said that several verses of Vande Mataram depict the motherland as Hindu goddess Durga, which conflicts with Islamic belief in the oneness of God. “Muslims worship only one God. Singing verses that ascribe divinity to anyone other than Allah goes against our faith and conscience,” he said.
Citing the 1986 Supreme Court judgment in Bijoe Emmanuel vs. State of Kerala case, Madani reminded that no one can be forced to sing the national anthem or any song if it violates their religious beliefs.
He also referred to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s 1937 letter to Jawaharlal Nehru, in which Tagore advised that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be adopted as the national song. Following this, the Congress Working Committee had limited recognition to the first two stanzas.
Madani said invoking Tagore’s name today to justify enforcement of the entire song is a distortion of history. “Tagore’s intent was to preserve unity, not division,” he said.
Urging political leaders to avoid politicising sensitive religious matters, Madani called for discussions on Vande Mataram within the framework of constitutional rights and mutual respect. “True patriotism lies in loyalty of the heart and righteous action, not in forced slogans,” he added.
