How the Modi Government is Downgrading India’s National Anthem
For the first time in eight decades, the country’s national song, Vande Mataram, will precede the playing of the national anthem on Independence Day.
On August 15, India's Independence Day, a shift from tradition will occur at the Red Fort in New Delhi. The national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" will be preceded by the singing of "Vande Mataram," a national song with Hindu religious undertones. This move by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government signals a downgrade in the status of the national anthem, which has constitutional significance and is considered the highest musical symbol of the republic.
The BJP and affiliated Sangh Parivar have long opposed the secular content of the national anthem, demanding primacy for "Vande Mataram." Recently, the Narendra Modi government amended the law to grant equal status to "Vande Mataram," previously restricted to cultural events. The Defense Ministry announced this change would commemorate the song's 150th anniversary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival at the Red Fort will involve playing "Vande Mataram" first, followed by the national flag unfurling and the national anthem. A new law, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, could punish insults to the national song with up to three years in prison. Muslim organizations oppose this, citing their Islamic faith's prohibition against worshipping anyone but Allah.
The move has sparked controversy, with opposition parties accusing the BJP of promoting Hindu majoritarianism. Tamil Nadu and Kerala have announced they will not comply with the central government's order, opting to sing "Tamil Thaai Vazhthu" and the first two stanzas of "Vande Mataram" respectively. The BJP has framed this move as a response to the Congress-led opposition's alleged appeasement politics.
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