The singing of Vande Mataram would reappear in the new look, as Chief Minister Kamal Nath has come out with the new form of national anthem and national song recitation.
There had been much politics over the issue after singing of Vande Mataram in front of the State Mantralaya was stopped by the State government. This practice was started around 13 years ago by the then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The BJP camps criticised the present Congress government for stopping the practice under which the government officials were asked to sing national song on the first day of every month.
In an official order on Thursday, it was mentioned that the national song will be back, but with the added feature of a police band. “At 10:45 am on first working day of every month, a police band will play the tunes that encourage patriotic feelings during their march from Shaurya Samarak to Vallabh Bhawan in Bhopal. On arrival at the Bhawan, the national anthem and Vande Mataram will be sung,” said Chief Minister Kamal Nath, whose order scrapping the singing of Vande Mataram on January 1 provoked protests from the opposition BJP.
Earlier this week, the state government had ordered that it was no longer a must to sing the national song, which meant for the first time in 13 years, government employees did not sing Vande Mataram at the secretariat on January 1.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a three-time chief minister, had introduced the practice when the BJP was in power. Yesterday, he had pledged to sing the national song in the assembly along with over 100 BJP lawmakers as a mark of protest.
Now, the general public can also accompany the Police band. Once the band and the public reach the Vallabh Bhavan, the national anthem 'Jana-Gan-Mana' and the national-song 'Vande-Mataram' will be sung.
The new Vande Mataram singing programme will be organized on the first working day of every month only. The members of the State Council of Ministers will take part in the programme turnwise, the order stated.