Muslim Forum asks students not to sing Vande Mataram

Jaipur, Aug 31: All Muslims students in Rajasthan are being instructed not to sing Vande Mataram on September 7 even after the order has been made mandatory by the ruling BJP government in the state.

Various Muslim organisations and institutions under the banner of Rajasthan Muslim Forum (RMF) told newspersons here today that when the Centre has made the singing of Vande Mataram optional, how can the state government make its singing compulsory and also warn of stopping grants to those madarsas who disobey the order? The members said it only proves the BJP's fascist credentials and the move is totally against the secular structure of the country.

They say making the singing mandatory is against the Constitutional provisions but also believe that Congress is partly responsible for the row.

The forum members said they object to the words 'Vande Mataram' as Vande means 'puja' (offering prayers) which is against their religious beliefs as Muslims only believe in Allah.

Kari Moinuddin, convenor, RMF, said the forum will instruct all the madarsas, numbering about 6,000 in the state, not to sing the song on September 7. And not just madarsas, all Muslim students in any school are being asked not to render two stanzas of the song.

Dr Salim Engineer, president, Jamait-i-Islami, said they will take legal course if the state government insists on it or cancels their registrations or stops their grants, as reported by a section of the local press.

Dr J M Khan, a member, RMF, said Vande Mataram is basically a marching song and was sung to protest against the British rule and to infuse freedom fighters with enthusiasm and vigour.

He said the song is not part of the Indian Constitution and even when it was sung at the meetings before Independence or after, it was optional for Muslims.

Dr Engineer said singing the song is being linked with patriotism only to rake up a controversy and prove that Muslims are not patriots? He questioned how can singing just two lines of Vande Mataram on September 7 verify that Muslims are loyal and true to their nation? He said the BJP is in two minds itself as only Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have made the singing compulsory while it is optional in other two BJP-ruled states- Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

UNI