Vande Mataram to be sung compulsorily in K'taka on Sept 7

Bangalore, Aug 31 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has made it mandatory to sing 'Vande Mataram' in all schools on September seven to mark the National song's centenary.

Announcing this to newspersons here, State Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj S Horatti said the Government had issued a circular in this regard. ''There is no fuss about it...everybody should sing it.'' Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh had dashed off a letter to all the State Governments, asking them to make all school children sing the national song on September seven. The issue assumed communal overtones when certain Muslim leaders had taken exception to making it mandatory, stating that it hurt their religious sentiments.

Jumping into the bandwagon, the BJP had objected to this and singing Vande Mataram had been made compulsory in BJP-ruled States.

As the issue became a full blown controversy, Mr Singh had claimed that he had only suggested singing the National song and not made it mandatory.

Meanwhile, doubts were being raised about the National song's centenary, with some historians questioning the HRD Ministry's wisdom.

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