Singing 'Vande Mataram' to be mandatory in UP schools, colleges: CM

Singing the "Vande Mataram" will be made compulsory in every school and educational institution of the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday. Debate over India’s national song rekindled last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the year-long commemoration of 150 years of “Vande Mataram” that dropping key stanzas in 1937 had "sown the seeds of Partition". Such a "divisive mindset" remained a challenge for the country, he said in remarks seen as an attack on the Congress.

Addressing an ‘Ekta Yatra’ (unity march) event in Gorakhpur, the chief minister said this move would evoke feelings of reverence and pride among citizens towards ‘Bharat Mata’. Adityanath said that no religion stands above the nation and announced that singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ will now be mandatory in all schools across the state. CM Yogi asserted that the national song is a symbol of India’s unity and pride. He emphasised that students must begin their day with Vande Mataram to instill patriotism and respect for the nation’s heritage.

He directed education authorities to ensure that all educational institutions in both government and private to include the song as part of their daily morning prayers or assemblies and urged: “This is not just a song; it’s a feeling of devotion to the nation. We must honor it with full respect in every school and college of Uttar Pradesh.”