Centre’s directive on singing ‘Vande Mataram’ before national anthem sparks political row in Bengal

The Centre's directive mandating that all six stanzas of the national song, 'Vande Mataram', be sung before the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana', at official functions has triggered a sharp political face-off in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. While the TMC has described the order as an attempt to ''diminish'' Rabindranath Tagore and stoke symbolism for electoral gains, the Congress has dubbed it a ''divisive ploy'', and the BJP has countered that it is merely correcting a historical wrong and restoring full honour to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's song. In an order dated January 28 and formally notified on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that when the national song and the national anthem are rendered together, 'Vande Mataram' must precede Jana Gana Mana. It also laid down, for the first time, detailed protocols for singing the national song, specifying that its six stanzas, with a duration of 3 minutes and 10 seconds, be performed on occasions such as the unfurling of the national flag, arrival and departure of the President and governors, presidential addresses to the nation, presentation of civilian honours and ceremonial parades. The directive has triggered a layered political response in poll-bound Bengal, where identity politics has increasingly revolved around the twin motifs of ''Bangla'' and ''Bangali''. Senior TMC leader and state Education Minister Bratya Basu said the party had ''no objection'' to highlighting Bankim Chandra's contribution, but alleged that the move was an attempt to ''belittle'' Tagore. ''By insisting that 'Vande Mataram' must be sung before 'Jana Gana Mana', they are trying to create a hierarchy. In the process, Rabindranath has been insulted,'' Basu said, adding that ''certain communal forces'' had historically been uncomfortable with Tagore's inclusive and secular worldview. Another state minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya, took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling that he had once referred to Bankim Chandra as ''Bankim-da'' in Parliament. ''Is this an attempt to apply balm to that wound?'' she asked. Basu also linked the timing of the order to the impending Assembly polls, claiming the directive would be forgotten ''once Mamata Banerjee becomes Chief Minister for the fourth time''. The Congress echoed the charge, saying the step was aimed at ''scoring political points'' ahead of the elections, with former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury terming it a ''strategy of division''. For the TMC, the controversy feeds into a broader campaign narrative it has sharpened over the past three major elections- projecting itself as the custodian of Bengali pride against what it describes as an ''outsider'' BJP. Allegations of insult to Bengali icons, neglect of the state, and harassment of Bengalis in other states have formed recurring motifs of the ruling party's political messaging. The Centre's order places the TMC in a nuanced position: both Tagore and Bankim Chandra are towering Bengali figures, and both songs occupy constitutionally recognised space- 'Jana Gana Mana' as the National Anthem and 'Vande Mataram' as the National Song. The TMC's response sought to frame the issue not as a contest between two Bengali icons, but as an attempt by the BJP to recalibrate symbolism for electoral dividends. The BJP, however, rejected the criticism as politically motivated. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya accused the Congress and TMC of having historically ''truncated'' 'Vande Mataram' under pressure from ''communal appeasement''. Bhattacharya dismissed claims that Tagore had advised dropping portions of the song, saying the poet had only sung the first two stanzas on one occasion and had not barred the rest. He also referred to debates within the Congress in the 1930s, claiming that Subhas Chandra Bose had expressed concern over attempts to dilute the song's status. Bhattachraya said the party's position was consistent and not election-driven. ''In every BJP convention, the full 'Vande Mataram' is sung. This is not new. The 150th year of the song's composition is a milestone. The attempt is to restore it to its full dignity,'' he said, dismissing allegations of diminishing Tagore as ''childish''. Written in 1875 and later included in Bankim Chandra's novel Anandamath (1882), 'Vande Mataram' became a rallying cry during the freedom movement. It was first sung publicly by Tagore in 1896. While the Constitution accords it equal honour as the National Song, formal performance protocols had not previously been codified. The present directive revives older fault lines. In Parliament last year, the BJP had accused the Congress of opposing the full rendition of 'Vande Mataram' in deference to concerns raised during the pre-Independence period, a charge the grand old party had contested. As Bengal heads into a high-voltage poll season, the battle over which song comes first has morphed into a larger contest over history, identity and Bengali pride, with the TMC crying cultural affront and the BJP claiming historical correction.