Vande Mataram sung in schools, BJP takes out Shatabdi yatra

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (UNI) The BJP-sponsored Vandemataram Shatabdi Yatra, which reached here from Hoshiarpur as part of the nation-wide celebrations this morning, culminated with a spirited rendition of the national song by hundreds of enthusiasts.

The song was also sung by thousands of school students in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory, majority of them belonging to government-run or aided schools.

In Himachal Pradesh, a state-level function under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, was organised in the state secretariat here at 1100 hrs. Several functions at the state, district, sub-division and tehsil level were organised on the occasion, an official spokesman in Shimla said.

Educational institutions in the hill state also held similar functions, without any organisation, political party or religious group refusing to sing the song, he said.

Haryana too, joined the nation in singing the ''Vande Mataram'' on its centenary celebrations with students taking out 'prabhat pheries' and reciting it in schools.

In Punjab too, government school students sang the song throughout the state.

In the Punjab Congress Bhawan here, the Punjab Congress Seva Dal organised a function on the occasion with the party's state unit chief Shamsher Singh Dullo hoisting the party flag.

The national song had been ''a spiritual guiding force of Congressmen during the freedom struggle,' he said.

UNI JN VD PC1638