Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a controversy in Kerala over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram, the state General Education Department has issued a directive for Independence Day celebrations asking schools to hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, but has not directed them to sing the National Song.
The recent guidelines issued by the Director of Public Education for schools and other educational institutions said the head of the institution should hoist the national flag at 9 am or thereafter and conduct the national anthem.
The directive mentions only the national anthem and does not refer to the singing of 'Vande Mataram', the national song. The instructions were issued based on a circular from the Protocol Officer.
The absence of any direction to sing 'Vande Mataram' comes amid a controversy over an earlier communication from Chief Secretary to the Local Self Government Department, forwarding the Centre's instructions on the national song.
Opposition CPI (M) vehemently criticised the Congress-led government over the development and accused it of attempting to implement the RSS agenda.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan, however, on Thursday clarified that the Chief Secretary had not issued any circular but had only forwarded the instructions received from the Centre.
"The letter does not contain the policy or stand of the state government," Satheesan had said, adding that the state government would decide the Independence Day programmes in Kerala and has a clear policy on the matter.
"There are just a few days for August 15. You will see then," he had said, while noting that the Congress and the UDF have a clear policy on the singing of 'Vande Mataram'.
Earlier on Friday, the BJP said the state government had a moral obligation to implement the law in the country concerning the rendition of 'Vande Mataram', the national song.
The BJP also alleged that the Congress-led government was being controlled by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF partner, and hence was unable to take a firm stand on the issue.
In a July 9 communication, the Centre has directed that the official version of the National Song be played along with mass singing during the unfurling of the National Flag and at cultural or ceremonial functions other than parades.
It said singing the National Song on such occasions, with or without instrumental accompaniment, along with mass singing, was desirable.
The Centre, in the letter, had also said that in all schools, the day's work may begin with community singing of the National Song and that school authorities should make adequate provisions in their programmes to popularise the singing of the National Song and National Anthem and promote respect for the National Flag among students.
