Thol Thirumavalavan, President, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dalit party, said that the court order goes against the multicultural and multi-religious ethos of the country
The Madras High Court order that made singing Vande Mataram compulsory in all educational institutions and offices in Tamil Nadu, has stirred a controversy with Muslim outfits opposing the direction, while the BJP welcomed it.
Justice MV Muralidharan on Tuesday came out with a sweeping direction to sing Vande Mataram once a week in all educational institutions and once a month at all offices while hearing a petition to decide whether the song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is in Bengali or Sanskrit.
Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi's General Secretary M Thamimun Ansari, who is an MLA elected on the AIADMK symbol, said the order passed by the court is in no way acceptable as it goes against the Constitution-guaranteed religious freedom.
"The song Vande Mataram is against the Muslim monotheist belief as it refers to the motherland and Durga Devi," Ansari said, noting that during the freedom struggle, though Hindu nationalists sang Vande Mataram, Muslims had boycotted it. "This stance was accepted by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhash Chandra Bose," he said.
Vande Mataram is a song that touched the hearts of thousands and acted as a unifier, Justice Muralidharan said, adding that the song meant "I bow to thee, Mother". It was first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress, the judge added. However, the judge, who did not make singing the song compulsory, said in a conciliatory note that the order would be taken in the right spirit and implemented in both letter and spirit.
Prof MH Jawahirullah of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi said that the song appears in the novel Anand Math written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. In the novel, he says, the hero Satyananda, the leader of the sanyasis, call upon people to kill Muslims. "The song was not written to exhort the people to rally against British but clearly against Muslims," he said.
Thol Thirumavalavan, President, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dalit party, said that the court order goes against the multicultural and multi-religious ethos of the country.
Amid the voices of dissent, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, welcomed the high court order and urged the state government to issue a direction as per the court order immediately. "The state government should also make available a Tamil version of the song to all school and colleges," she said.
OTHER VOICES
- Thol Thirumavalavan, President, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dalit party, said that the court order goes against the multicultural and multi-religious ethos of the country.
- Amid the voices of dissent, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, welcomed the high court order and urged the state government to issue a direction as per the court order immediately.
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 "Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay")
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