Khasi students oppose full version of Vande Mataram, threatens state-wide protests

Shillong, March 21: Amid growing debate over the Centre’s directive on the rendition of the National Song, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has warned of protests at schools and government events where the full version of Vande Mataram is sung, arguing that its later stanzas invoke Hindu deities and are at odds with indigenous tribal beliefs and traditions.

The union said it would mobilise its members to identify such instances and organise demonstrations, maintaining that only the first two stanzas of the national song refer to the motherland, while the subsequent verses contain explicit religious references.

The announcement came during an event marking 48 years of the organisation, where KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah asserted that the move was necessary to resist what he described as cultural assimilation.

“If we allow them to direct us to sing, one day we will have to toe their line,” Thabah said, linking the issue to earlier concerns over the alleged imposition of Hindi, as well as legislations such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngnar reiterated that the organisation remains committed to protecting indigenous identity and unity, stressing that cultural practices should not be imposed on tribal communities.

The development follows a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which has mandated the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

The January 28 order further states that when both the National Song and the National Anthem are performed, the National Song must precede the Anthem.

Meanwhile, similar concerns have surfaced in Nagaland, where Naga student bodies have opposed the directive, terming it an infringement on religious beliefs and cultural identity.

PTI