The Union government plans to prominently feature “Vande Mataram” during the upcoming Republic Day celebrations, coinciding with the visit of European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa to India next month.
This initiative follows recent attempts to mandate the singing of “Vande Mataram” in schools and public events, which have faced criticism. Opponents argue that such actions represent a form of enforced patriotism that risks alienating certain community groups, particularly Muslims, and threatens to distort a more inclusive concept of national identity.
During debates in the 2025 Lok Sabha marking the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram,” leaders including Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi voiced their concerns about the coercive use of patriotic symbols. Ruhullah accused the government of weaponizing patriotism and unfairly policing Muslim identity under the pretext of nationalism and law enforcement measures.
“Nationality may change, governments may come and go, but my faith does not change. No one has the right to compel me to worship any deity or to prove my patriotism by singing a song,” he stated.
Previously, Owaisi expressed similar sentiments during a Lok Sabha discussion, asserting that forcing citizens, especially Muslims, to recite the song constitutes an unconstitutional form of loyalty testing and distorts genuine patriotism. He cited past incidents where individuals were confronted or even subjected to violence for refusing to chant the song, highlighting ongoing concerns about intolerance and the politicization of nationalism.
The government’s decision to elevate “Vande Mataram” during a significant national event comes amid these escalating tensions and debates on identity and patriotism in contemporary India.
Tags: Govt to foreground ‘Vande Mataram’ at Republic Day celebrations amid criticism over forced patriotism Extract 5 SEO-friendly keywords as tags. Output only keywords, comma separated.
Hashtags: #Govt #foreground #Vande #Mataram #Republic #Day #celebrations #criticism #forced #patriotism
