Vande Mataram gets new guidelines: 6 stanzas to be played, citizens must stand up, and more

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines regarding India's national song ‘Vande Mataram’, where it has mandated that a six-stanza-long, 3 minutes and 10 seconds version of the song be played or sung at a host of different occasions.

The new guidelines requires all persons to stand up when ‘Vande Mataram’ is played and that it be played just before national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ at all government events as well as in schools, Hindustan Times reported.

When will Vande Mataram be played?

According to the HT report citing the Home Ministry document, Vande Mataram will now be played during the unfurling of the national flag, arrival of the President at events, both before and after her addresses to the nation as well as speeches, and before and after the speeches and arrivals of governors.

The national song is also required to be played when the Tricolour is brought during a national parade and during public investitures.

As per an NDTV report, Vande Mataram will also be needed to be played at civilian awards ceremonies including Padma awards, as well as all awards attended by the President.

It is also required to be played at school assemblies.

What are the other Vande Mataram rules?

The Home Ministry in its 10-page order said that whenever the national song and the national anthem are to be sung or played together, Vande Mataram will be played before Jana Gana Mana.

The audience are required to stand up during the playing or singing of Vande Mataram, as per the new rules.

However, Vande Mataram will not be played in movie theatres like the national anthem.

“Whenever the official version of the national song is sung, or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the national song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the national song,” the note by the Home Ministry, as cited by HT, read.

The duration of the Vande Mataram song under the new rules will be 190 seconds, which will cover the official six-stanza version. This will also cover the four stanzas that were removed in 1937.

Centre's Vande Mataram push

The move comes amid the central government's recent push to popularise Vande Mataram, India's national song, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.

However, the notification is likely to cause chatter among the political sector, given that the BJP and Congress recently went through a massive row on the topic.

However, despite loud debates in the Parliament, the Centre has continued its push to make the song reach to the masses, including displaying several tableaux during the Republic Day Parade based on the song.

Written by Bengali literary icon Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Vande Mataram was first adopted by India's freedom movement to show support for the motherland. In 1950, the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram were adopted as the national song of India.

However, this is the first time a government has issued an official protocol to sing or play Vande Mataram. On the contrary, there are several rules and regulations associated with national anthem Jana Gana Mana.