The controversy over the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ at Karnataka government programmes has taken a new turn, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot writing to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and asking the state government to reconsider its decision to limit the National Song to its first two stanzas at most official events.
The Governor's intervention comes after an ongoing dispute over the Karnataka government's September 8 order on singing or playing of ‘Vande Mataram’ at state government programmes and official functions. Under the order, only the first two stanzas are to be performed at regular state events, and the entire version is to be delivered at functions attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor.
Governor Questions Two-Stanza Rendition
Gehlot has objected to the decision and advised the Chief Minister to review the order, it is said. The Governor has raised the question of whether the state government has the executive power to prescribe a version of the National Song different from the one stipulated by the Centre.
The Governor's letter states that the National Song and the regulation of its official rendition are not expressly assigned to the State List under the Constitution. He has therefore asked the state government to examine the legal basis of its decision.
The development brings another layer to a dispute that has already seeped into the Karnataka Legislature and the courts.
What does Karnataka Government's Order Say?
The Karnataka government issued its order on 8 September following a Cabinet decision. It directed that the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ be sung or played at state government programmes and official functions.
The order makes an exception for an event with the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor to be attended. The state government said it was designed to ensure uniformity, respect and proper etiquette with government programme implementation and policy on the basis of the nature and context.
Such a decision has been opposed by the opposition and others who claim the complete official version should be followed at formal government functions.
Centre's Guidelines Become Part of the Dispute
The controversy is also connected to guidelines issued by the Union government on the official version of ‘Vande Mataram’. The Centre has prescribed the full official version for formal occasions, making it the point of dispute with Karnataka’s two-stanza arrangement.
The legal question of the respective powers of the Union and state governments also reached the Karnataka High Court. A public interest lawsuit challenged the September 8 order and claimed that the state government did not have the power to prescribe a shorter version for state functions.
The High Court has declined to stay the state's two-stanza order, so this issue is still being considered by the judiciary.
Vande Mataram issue reaches Karnataka Assembly
The dispute was particularly noticeable at the recent proceedings of the Karnataka Legislature. On September 21, opposition legislators continued singing the full version after the official version stopped after two stanzas.
BJP and JD(S) legislators sang all six stanzas in the Assembly and Legislative Council despite the state government's order. The incident highlighted the misunderstanding over how the National Song should be sung at official state functions.
The issue has become administrative as well as legal, and it has raised questions about protocol, constitutional authority and the official treatment of the National Song.
Governor's Letter Puts Focus Back on Government Order
With Governor Gehlot now asking Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to reconsider the decision, attention is once again on the September 8 government order.
The Governor has said that restrictions on the National Song to only two stanzas at state government functions need to be reconsidered, given the Centre’s guidelines. This will now lay the Governor’s concerns at rest while he can still wait for the courts to resolve the legal crisis.
Until now, the Karnataka government’s two-stanza protocol is still at the center of the controversy. In the next few days, the state’s order could be revised in relation to the state or maintained with this arrangement while legal issues surrounding the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ are examined.
