Shashi Tharoor Questions Need For Full Rendition Of ‘Vande Mataram’ At Official Events

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has questioned the need to sing the full version of Vande Mataram at official functions, describing the practice as an unnecessary imposition and arguing that respect for the national song should not be equated with compulsory recitation of all its verses.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said there was no dispute over the importance of Vande Mataram as a national symbol.

However, he expressed reservations over moves to require the complete rendition of the song at public events.

“Now they want all the verses to be sung at the beginning of every event and again at the end. I think that is an unnecessary imposition,” he said, according to media reports.

The Congress leader’s remarks come amid a broader political debate triggered by recent guidelines concerning the performance of Vande Mataram at official functions.

The issue has generated controversy in Kerala, where differing interpretations emerged over whether the complete version of the national song should be rendered at state events attended by constitutional authorities.

The discussion gained momentum after the Union government introduced detailed guidelines earlier this year on the rendition of Vande Mataram during official ceremonies as part of the observance of the song’s 150th anniversary.

The guidelines reportedly provide for the use of the full version of the song at certain government functions and ceremonial occasions.

Tharoor maintained that patriotism should remain voluntary and argued that national symbols command greater respect when embraced willingly rather than through compulsion.

His comments are consistent with positions he has expressed previously on the issue.

The controversy has also drawn reactions from leaders across Kerala’s political spectrum. Recently, Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan argued that singing the entire song was not necessary and said rendering the recognised portions of Vande Mataram should be sufficient.

Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published in the novel Anandamath in 1882, was adopted as India’s national song in 1950 and occupies a prominent place in the country’s freedom movement and national life.

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