Nothing official for centenary celebrations of 'Vande Mataram'

Patna, Sep 7 (UNI) No official function was organised in Bihar for recitation of 'Vande Mataram' on the occasion of the centenary of the aboption of Bankim Chandra Chatterjees poem as the national song.

The Bihar government, distancing itself from the controversy arising out of the Central directive to recite the song, did not issue any circular making its singing mandatory whereas one of the major constituents of the NDA government in Bihar, the BJP, and other organisations affiliated to it organised several programmes for its mass singing. JD(U), the major component of the NDA chose to keep itself away from official singing of the song.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) did not organise any programme. RJD, the allaince partner of the Congress led UPA government at the Centre, too stayed away from official singing of the song.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pleaded time crunch for not singing the song as he was busy with his 'janata darbar'. ''It was not at all mandatory and no one should be compelled to sing 'Vande Mataram','' he said.

Meanwhile, several prominent convent missionaries and government schools did not organise the mass recitation of 'Vande Mataram,' while in some private schools the children and their teachers sang the song.

The song was not recited in about 4000 madarsas of the state.

Madarsa Education Board president Abdul Wahab said that 'Vande Mataram' would not have been recited even if the government had made it mandatory.

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