Cautious Bengal Muslim community pushes back on 'Vande Mataram' in madrasas

KOLKATA: The BJP govt’s directive making the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in madrasas has drawn objections from sections of Bengal’s Muslim community, with religious and community leaders urging the administration to reconsider.

The pushback is notable as the community largely accepted recent BJP govt directives without public confrontation and helped implement them. Clerics and organisations urged compliance with curbs on cattle slaughter during Bakrid, cooperated with shifting the major Eid-uz-Zuha congregation from Red Road to Brigade Parade Ground, and supported measures to ensure Friday prayers and other congregations did not spill on to roads and block traffic. The ‘Vande Mataram’ order, however, has triggered a more vocal response, seen by some as a shift in engagement with the new govt.

On Tuesday, CM Suvendu Adhikari said those who want to stay in the country must say ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and respect Aug 15 and Jan 26. “The recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ has been made mandatory in every school. This is Indian culture. This is Sanatan culture. India is known as both Hindustan and India. This country cannot go in anyone else’s hands,” Adhikari said in Hooghly.

While some madrasas have begun complying, prominent figures, including Imam of Nakhoda Mosque Mohammad Shafique Qasmi, senior cleric Qari Fazlur Rahman, Furfura Sharif cleric Peerzada Abbas Siddique and leaders of Muslim organisations, have expressed reservations, arguing that certain portions raise theological concerns.

Maulana Mohammad Shafique Qasmi appealed to the govt to make the song optional. “ It is about the faith of the Muslim community. Muslims love their country, but they only worship Allah and nobody else. In that context, I will request the govt to make singing of Vande Mataram optional,” Qasmi said.

Qari Fazlur Rahman said the issue required consultation among scholars. “The community has some issues with some stanzas. All the ulemas and religious figures must sit down and make a decision on how to go about it. In my own madrasa, the National Anthem is sung every day,” Rahman said.

‘Vande Mataram’ was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and later included in his novel Anandamath in 1882, and played a key role in the nationalist movement. .

Abdul Aziz, secretary of the Milli Ittehad Parishad, said objections were theological, not political. “Muslims of this country love India as much as anybody else, but they have some reservations with ‘Vande Mataram’, which they view as conflicting with the Islamic principle that worship is due only to Allah. Govt must not make it mandatory and have a dialogue with the representatives of the community,” Aziz said.

Syed Rahul Amin, secretary of the All India Minority Association and principal of Jamiya Madrasa Mustafa Madania in Kanchanpur, said his organisation was examining the matter. “There is no reason to be scared. We have not yet given any directions to our madrasas regarding Vande Mataram,” Amin said.

In March, the SC refused to entertain a petition challenging an MHA circular on singing all stanzas of Vande Mataram in official functions and schools, observing the circular did not make singing compulsory.

On the ground, some institutions have implemented the order. Abdur Rouf Dafadar, headmaster of Khosdelpur High Madrasah, Ashoknagar, said: “We have a sound box system at our madrasa. Our female teachers led the song using it, and the kids sang ‘Vande Mataram’ with them. It is a difficult song, so they found it hard to memorise.”

(Inputs from Dipawali Mitra)