Shashi Tharoor questions Vande Mataram amendment, flags six-minute protocol
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor questions the practical implications of the Vande Mataram amendment, warning that mandatory full singing could require audiences to stand for six minutes before and after events.
Quick Look
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has questioned the Vande Mataram amendment, warning that requiring the full National Song at official functions could force audiences to stand for six minutes before and after events.
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Why It Matters
The President assented to the Vande Mataram Amendment, which requires the full National Song to be sung at official functions alongside the National Anthem.
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday questioned the practical implications of the Vande Mataram amendment, saying the requirement to sing the National Song in full at official functions could result in audiences standing for several minutes before and after events.
In a post on X, Tharoor said the President had assented to the amendment, which was passed in Parliament without discussion. He said the amended provision requires the full National Song to be sung at the beginning and end of official functions, in addition to the National Anthem.
"The President has assented to the #VandeMataram Amendment, passed without discussion in Parliament, which requires the singing of the National Song in full at the start and ending of any official function, in addition to the National Anthem.
"As one who greatly respects both, and can sing the first two stanzas of the former (but not the other four, which were never required till now) as well as the entire anthem, i would like to point to just one practical consideration our zealots appear to have overlooked: human nature," Tharoor added.
He said, "'Jana Gana Mana' requires audiences to stand respectfully and focus their attention for a reasonable 52 seconds. The National Song in full takes 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Tamil Nadu has just decided that both will be preceded by the State Song in Tamil for another 2 minutes. Do we really expect audiences to stand still and respectfully for six minutes before and after every function, a total of 12 extra minutes? Can respect and patience be legislated? I fear that the intent of the Bill, to promote greater respect for the National Song , will not be achieved, but its opposite may well be."
Tharoor said he respected both the National Anthem and National Song but questioned whether imposing longer ceremonial requirements would achieve the intended objective of promoting respect. He also pointed to Tamil Nadu's decision to precede both with its state song, arguing that the combined duration could require audiences to remain standing for around six minutes before and after official functions. Tharoor questioned whether respect and patience could be legislated and warned that the amendment could have the opposite effect of what it intends to achieve.
Open Questions
- How will official functions implement the new protocol?
- Will other states follow Tamil Nadu's addition of state songs?
