Overview
- Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Culture ordered schools to mark the 150th year of Vande Mataram through musical and cultural programmes with mandatory participation by students and staff.
- The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, says singing or reciting the song conflicts with Tawheed and calls the directive unjust and un-Islamic.
- The MMU alleges the mandate advances an RSS-driven Hindutva ideology under the guise of cultural celebration.
- The group has appealed to the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister to withdraw the order and assure that no student or institution is compelled to act against their faith.
- Authorities have not issued a public response; the October 30 order sets a four-phase plan running from November 2025 to November 7, 2026, with school education directors named as nodal officers.