BJP's States Of Confusion

There is egg on the party's face because of the reminder of the 1998 incidentwhen Atal and Advani had both decided that the then UP education minister's moveto do something similar was just not on and the minister had to lose his job.And it seems that the party needs to ensure that at least its prominent faces inthe forefront of "agar Hindustan meiN rahna hoga to Vande Mataramkahanaa hogaa" campaign at least learn all the words and meaningthereof.

We had wondered how familiar these leaders were with the national song, and aprivate TV channel decided to put it to test. Sahib Singh Verma, Ravi ShankarPrasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi were cornered with live TV cameras and microphonesand it was clear that they not only did not know the meaning of the verses, theyhad trouble even remembering the words as well - and whatever little they did,was mostly wrong. As for the inability to sing in tune, well, that can perhaps be excused.

Meanwhile, there has been lot of heart-burn over the fact that the madrasas,not being government-run, do not come under the state governments' purview. Assenior party leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, "It would be difficult tomonitor the singing of the national song in madarsas because they are not undergovernment control. It would be good if madarsas too allow singing of thenational song but in any case it should be compulsory in government and aidedschools."

The BJP-ruled states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradeshand Jharkhand have made the singing of Vande Mataram "mandatory". InMadhya Pradesh, it will also be sung in government offices, while JharkhandChief Minister Arjun Munda, facing a serious political crisis, called on BJPactivists to recite the song. As the BJP government in Rajasthan madepreparations for the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in schools and madrasas,the state Muslim Forum said it would defy the official circular.

In Orissa and Karnataka, where the BJP is part of the government, the singinghas been made mandatory. It is not compulsory in Bihar, where the BJP is part ofthe JD-U-led ruling alliance, but the party has asked its ministers and MLAs toorganise the public singing of Vande Mataram.

Significantly, Modi's Gujarat government is playing itsafe: "To enable collective singing of the National song, the stategovernment has asked all government offices, municipal corporations, panchayats,all state-run boards and corporations, educational institutions,government-aided institutions, to hold appropriate programmes". But it hasstayed away from even any mention of the word "mandatory".

Javed Akhtar perhaps summed up the whole controversy for thecommon-man when he said,

"I have never quite understood politicians. Neither could I read theirminds. Are they guided by logic? I don't think so. Or else why do they alwaysmake an issue out of a non-issue and waste Parliament's precious time? Thepoliticians must not take people's attention away from core issues -- theyshould not influence them to move away from the less privileged population ofthe country. I beg the people of this country not to fall prey to the craftydesigns of the politicians. If some people don't want to sing the song, let themnot sing it. But why waste our energy debating on it? We live in a democracy andshould, therefore, allow people to exercise their democratic rights. We havethousands of serious issues at hand. Let us stop being hypocrites and stopraising a hue and cry over things that do not matter.".

A round-up of the hue and cry so far:

Rajnath Singh, president, BJP: The party will make singing of thenational song compulsory in the state if voted to power. We resolve not to allownational symbols to be denigrated. I am of the opinion that Vande Mataram shouldbe sung in its entirety. (Quoted in RSS organ Panchjanya) In 1937, theMuslim League opposed singing of portions in Vande Mataram which referred togoddess Durga. This song should be sung collectively. I sent my message throughnewspapers only. There was no need for a written order. The national song willbe sung at all party offices on September 7 in BJP-ruled states.

L.K. Advani, former president, BJP: There should be no compromisingattitude on the national song. Showing respect to national symbols cannot bemade optional.

Arjun Munda, BJP, Chief Minister, Jharkhand: Vande Mataram is anational song, and its rendition is mandatory.

Murli Manohar Joshi, senior leader, BJP: Instead of being apologeticand saying that singing of Vande Mataram is not mandatory, Arjun Singh shouldinform the people that under the Constitution, it has been given the same statusas the National Anthem... Respecting the song shall be deemed a Constitutionalobligation of every citizen of India. It contains nothing that hurts thereligious sentiments of any community. The song was like a sacred chant forpatriots since the partition of Bengal in 1905 and was also sung at Congressparty sessions in the pre-Independence period. Unfortunately, some people laterbegan to find the song objectionable. People like Jinnah who at one point oftime held liberal views also became hostile. Instead of persuading those opposedto it, Congress leaders of that time started a trend of appeasement by cuttingdown the song to first two stanzas.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, vice-president, BJP: Singing of the national songis no certificate of patriotism, but its opposition is indeed evidence ofseparatism. (could not sing the song, though he tried valiantly and managedto sing more than the rest)

Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesperson, BJP: It is not the question ofmandatory or compulsory.... It's the question of respect for the national song,a national symbol. (could not explain the meaning of text of the song quotedto him)

Prakash Karat, general secretary, CPI-M: The matter should be left tothe state governments. After all education and educational institutions fall inthe state list.

Digvijay Singh, senior leader, Congress: Why should singing Vande Matarambe mandatory? India is a free country. Some Muslim fundamentalists havemisinterpreted the translated version of Vande Mataram, claiming it offendsMuslim sentiments. We appeal to those opposing it to understand the meaning andessence of the national song. The BJP looks for issues to communalise thesituation. The RSS never sang Vande Mataram before India became independent. TheBritish government banned the song, but it was the Congress that sang it as anexpression of protest against British rule. What objection does he have? Is he ascholar? Ask Badruddin to understand the translated version of the song takenout by the government. [On United Democratic Front of Assam leader BadruddinAjmal's opposition to the singing of Vande Mataram by Muslims He also claimed ina live interview to Rajat Sharma's India TV that even the Muslim League was notopposed to the song, and that the controversy had been created by somefundamentalist Muslims recently]

Lalu Prasad Yadav, RJD chief, Union Railway Minister: It's a matter ofeach individual's faith.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: Singingof Vande Mataram should not be made mandatory and nobody should be forced torecite it. Whoever wishes may sing it. The claim by certain parties thatpatriotism can only be expressed by singing Vande Mataram is illogical and theCentre has been hasty in issuing an unnecessary circular about the singing ofthe first two stanzas of the national song on September 7.

E Ahamed, IUML, Union Minister of State for External Affairs: Whoeverwants to sing Vande Mataram should be permitted to do so... but those who do notwant should not be compelled to. The League (IUML) is not prepared to join theissue to create any problem