Vande Mataram row: CPI(M) accuses IUML of mutely acquiescing in Kerala govt.’s decision
The CPI(M) has criticized the IUML for supporting the Kerala government's directive to sing the full version of 'Vande Mataram' during Independence Day celebrations. The CPI(M) claims the song has majoritarian undertones and that the UDF government is acting as a proxy for Hindutva politics.
Why it matters
The debate over national symbols and their religious connotations remains a sensitive and divisive issue in Indian secular politics.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] on Saturday sought to put the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the defensive by accusing the key ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) ally of “mutely acquiescing” in the Kerala Chief Secretary’s directive instructing government departments and public sector entities to render the “pro-Hindutva” Vande Mataram in its entirety during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan told a press conference in Kannur that the order promulgated by the Chief Secretary has further reinforced the public perception that the UDF government has mutated into an ideological proxy for the Hindutva agenda-driven Central government.
Mr. Govindan said the Congress-led government has ignored the Constituent Assembly’s conclusion that Vande Mataram was a poor substitute for the secular and inclusive national anthem and should not be rendered in full at State functions.
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