Vande Mataram first, Jana Gana Mana second, reiterates Centre

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the States and Central Ministries to “strictly comply” with its directive that National Song Vande Mataram be played before Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem, whenever both are performed at official events.

In a July 9 letter to the Chief Secretaries of States and the Secretaries to Union Ministries, Joint Secretary Arvind Khare stated that the “Orders relating to National Song specifies that — when the National Song and the National Anthem are sung or played, National Song will be sung or played first.”

‘Follow correct diction’

The letter noted that while singing or playing the National Song and the National Anthem, “their correct script/text and diction/pronunciations should be followed strictly”.

The letter attached an order issued earlier that contains the exhaustive list of occasions during which the National Song and the National Anthem “shall be played or sung” at the beginning or end of an event or twice. “It is requested that suitable instructions in this regard may please be issued to all concerned institutions/organisations under your jurisdiction, for strict compliance,” the MHA said.

February order

Earlier, on February 6, the MHA, in a set of instructions to the States and other government bodies, advised that all the six stanzas of Vande Mataram, around 3.10 minutes long, be sung or played at official events and be given precedence over the National Anthem.

Vande Mataram, the salutation of India imagined as a mother, was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published with his novel Anandamath in the early 1880s. In 1937, leaders of the Indian National Congress, which was leading the national movement, decided to use the first two stanzas at its gatherings. The Constitution of the modern Republic of India accorded it the status of the National Song.

Jana Gana Mana was written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

On May 5, the Union Cabinet gave the go-ahead to amend The Prevention of Insults To National Honour Act, 1971 to make any insult or obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence. A Bill to this effect is likely to be tabled in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that is to begin on July 20.

At present, insults to Jana Gana Mana, the National Flag, and the Constitution of India is mentioned in the 1971 Act and is punishable by an imprisonment of up to three years or fine or both.