Thiruvananthapuram, 29 May (H.S.):
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over the incomplete rendering of Vande Mataram during the inaugural sitting of the State Assembly, describing it as a violation of established protocol.
Speaking to reporters, the Governor said Vande Mataram should have been rendered in its entirety during a function attended by the Governor and revealed that Lok Bhavan had specifically conveyed this requirement to the State authorities in advance.
“Not rendering Vande Mataram in full amounts to a protocol violation. It should have been presented completely. Lok Bhavan had given clear instructions in this regard. I have asked the Speaker why the full version was not rendered,” Arlekar said.
According to the Governor, rules governing official functions attended by the Governor require the complete rendering of Vande Mataram. However, during the opening session of the Assembly, only the opening portion of the song was played by the police band, and no lyrics were sung. Instead, only an instrumental rendition was presented.
Arlekar said he would seek further clarification on the matter, though no decision had yet been taken on whether a formal explanation would be sought from the Assembly authorities.
The controversy quickly triggered political reactions across the spectrum.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan defended the Assembly’s decision, stating that there was no requirement to render the song in its entirety. He argued that the first two stanzas, which are widely recognised and traditionally used in official functions, were sufficient.
“Only the first two parts need to be rendered. Demanding the complete version is part of the RSS agenda,” Vijayan said. He also maintained that people are not required to stand while Vande Mataram is being played.
BJP leader and MLA V. Muraleedharan, however, accused the State government of deliberately disregarding Central government guidelines and insulting the office of the Governor.
“The Centre has issued instructions that Vande Mataram should be rendered fully at programmes attended by the Governor. By ignoring this, the government has insulted both the Governor and Lok Bhavan,” Muraleedharan alleged. He further claimed that the V.D. Satheesan-led government had yielded to pressure from the CPI(M) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The latest Assembly session was historic as it marked the first time proceedings commenced with the rendering of Vande Mataram. However, the manner in which it was presented has now sparked a fresh political and constitutional debate in Kerala.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
