Madrassas told to sing Vande Mataram daily in West Bengal

The West Bengal Government has directed all madrassas in the State to ensure the singing of Vande Mataram during daily assembly prayers, effective immediately. The move comes nearly a week after the State Government announced a separate policy requiring the national song to be sung in all schools.

The latest directive applies to Government model madrassas, Government-aided madrassas, approved Shishu Shiksha Kendras, Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras, and recognised unaided madrassas under the Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department.

The notification has been circulated to district magistrates, district school inspectors, the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education, and other senior officials for implementation. Heads of institutions have been instructed to ensure strict compliance.

This move follows recent steps by the Union Government to strengthen provisions on national symbols, including a proposed amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, that would make obstruction of the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.

Opposition parties in the State criticised the directive, describing the move as arbitrary and raising concerns about its impact on pluralism. Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the Government was diverting attention from issues in the education sector. Chakraborty said the government should prioritise rebuilding the education sector instead of focusing on assembly prayers. He stated that such directives do not address the core issues in education.

Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the BJP was attempting to undermine India's pluralistic ethos and reiterated previous warnings about the party's approach. He referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated assertions that the BJP seeks to "weaken the country's pluralistic and multicultural traditions".

State Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharjee called the Directorate of Madrasah Education's order incorrect.

Bhattacharjee said that making Vande Mataram mandatory in madrassas was not appropriate, noting its historical association with protest and political mobilization, political rallies and protests. The government could have consulted the teachers in the madrassas and allowed them to make the decision, he said.