Kolkata: In a move loaded with symbolism, the West Bengal government has made the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in morning assemblies across all state-run and state-aided schools with immediate effect.
The directive, issued by the school education department, mandates that every student participate in singing the national song before the commencement of classes, with school heads instructed to ensure strict implementation.
The order comes against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive emphasis on national symbols in public discourse and follows recent moves by the Centre to strengthen legal provisions concerning respect for national emblems and songs.
Announcing the decision on the Assembly premises, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said, “From next Monday, Vande Mataram will be introduced as the prayer song in all schools across the state. I will go to Nabanna today and inform them.”
Later, in a post on X, the chief minister sought to underscore the significance of the decision and said: “In supersession of all previous orders and practices, the Government of West Bengal has mandated the singing of National Song of Bharat – Vande Mataram, during School Assembly Prayers before commencement of Classes in all Schools under the School Education Department across West Bengal, effective immediately.”
He also shared a copy of the official notification along with the post.
The formal communication issued by the Director of Education May 13 left little room for ambiguity.
“The singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ during morning assembly prayers should be made mandatory so that it should be sung by all students in all schools in the state with immediate effect,” the order said.
The move carries political resonance in a state where debates around identity, nationalism and cultural symbolism have often intersected with electoral politics.
For decades, the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, penned by Rabindranath Tagore, remained the principal song sung during school assemblies.
The previous TMC government had introduced ‘Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol’, another Tagore composition written during the anti-Partition movement of 1905, as the state song.
The inclusion of ‘Vande Mataram’, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and deeply associated with India’s freedom movement, now adds another layer to the assembly ritual and potentially to the state’s political narrative.
The decision also comes shortly after the Union government initiated steps to strengthen provisions under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, including a proposal to make obstruction to the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ a punishable offence.
Welcoming the state government’s move, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said the decision would help reinforce national values among students.
In a statement in Bengali, Majumdar said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the decision to make it mandatory to sing India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’, written by Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, during morning assemblies before classes in all schools under the West Bengal School Education Department.”
“‘Vande Mataram’ is a unique symbol of our national consciousness, patriotism and cultural heritage. This step carries immense significance in instilling among students respect for the motherland, a sense of unity and national values. I hope the younger generation develops a stronger sense of patriotism and greater pride in Indian culture,” he added.
A school education department official indicated Thursday that the song would be performed at the very beginning of the assembly proceedings.
Authorities have also been asked to maintain records of implementation, including video documentation, as proof of compliance, the official said.
While the order found support in several quarters, some educators raised practical questions over implementation.
The addition of ‘Vande Mataram’ to assemblies that already include the national anthem and, in many schools, the state song, has led to discussions over sequencing and time constraints.
A spokesperson of a Left-run teachers’ representative body said more clarity was needed regarding whether all songs would be sung every day and how they would fit into the existing assembly structure.
Headmaster of Hindu School Subhrojit Dutta said schools were prepared to comply with the directive once classes resumed after the summer vacation.
“Once our students attend classes after summer vacation, they will sing ‘Vande Mataram’ along with the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ during the assembly before classes,” Dutta told PTI.
“Our students had already been told about the historical significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ on the occasion of its 150th year, and they had been asked to recite the lines and memorise it at home before this notice was issued. So once they join school, they will sing the national song along with the national anthem,” he added.
Even as the administration framed the move as an exercise in strengthening patriotism and national consciousness, the decision is expected to add a new dimension to Bengal’s long-running political contest over culture, identity and the symbols that shape public life.