The Supreme Court is likely to hear on October 27 a plea to transfer from the Delhi High Court a PIL seeking that the ‘Vande Mataram’ song be given status equal to the national anthem.
As per the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana would take up the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, submitted that the PIL be transferred from the Delhi High Court to the top court as a similar writ petition is pending before it. “Vande Mataram’ is the symbol of our history, sovereignty, unity and pride. If any citizen, by any overt or covert act, shows disrespect to it, it would not only be an anti-social activity, but it would also spell doom to all our rights and very existence as a citizen of a sovereign nation.
“Every citizen must, therefore, not only refrain from any such activities but also do his best to prevent if any miscreant trying to show any disrespect to ‘Vande Mataram’. We must be proud of our nation, our Constitution, national anthem and national flag and put national interest above our personal interests and only then will we be able to protect our hard-earned freedom and sovereignty. It is the duty of the executive to frame a national policy to promote and propagate ‘Vande Mataram’,” the plea said.
The public interest litigation (PIL) seeks to ensure that the song is honoured and given equal status as the national anthem.
The petitioner, who has also sought a direction from the Centre and the Delhi Government to ensure that ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ are played and sung in all schools and educational institutions on every working day, has contended that in the absence of guidelines or regulations to honour the song, ‘Vande Mataram’ is being sung in an “uncivilised manner” and misused in films and parties. The petitioner has stated that the song played a historic part in the Indian freedom struggle and ought to be honoured as much as ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in view of the statement made by the Constituent Assembly Chairman Rajendra Prasad in 1950.
“To keep the country united, it is the Government’s duty to frame a national policy to promote-propagate ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. There is no reason why it should evoke any other sentiment, as both are decided by the Constitution makers.