Overview
- A circular from Kerala Chief Secretary Bhishwanath Sinha dated August 6 instructed that Vande Mataram be rendered in full as part of the Union’s Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and 150-year commemorations.
- Kerala leaders have publicly rejected that instruction and said the state will continue the long-standing practice of singing only the first two stanzas at government functions, senior Congress minister K. Muraleedharan told reporters.
- The Governor’s office denied pressing the state to issue the August 6 directive, leaving questions about how the Union ministry’s guidance was translated into the chief secretary’s order.
- The dispute has split opinion: CPI(M), IUML and other Kerala parties oppose the full rendition on pluralism grounds while Vishwa Hindu Parishad and some BJP figures defend the complete song as part of its freedom‑struggle legacy.
- The row could affect Independence Day programming and deepen centre‑state cultural tensions, so observers will be watching how officials manage protocol, coalition pressure, and public events next week.