Union Cabinet Moves to Protect Vande Mataram with New Amendment

Cabinet Approves Amendment to National Honour Act

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has given the green light to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, making it a punishable offense to obstruct the singing of the national song, Vande Mataram.

This amendment will ensure that Vande Mataram receives the same legal protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.

Currently, the Act safeguards the national anthem, the national flag, and the Constitution from any form of insult.

Acts such as burning, mutilating, or defacing the national flag or Constitution, or causing disturbances during the national anthem's performance, can lead to imprisonment for up to three years or fines.

Officials indicated that once Parliament approves the amendment, any intentional obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram will be subject to penalties.

Former Union minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai for this initiative.

Thakur shared on social media that this amendment fulfills a long-standing demand, having previously raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, advocating for legal protections against deliberate insults to cultural heritage.

In January, the Union Home Ministry mandated that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, should be sung first when both the national song and anthem are played together.

The ministry's order outlined protocols for singing the national song at official events, specifying that the six stanzas, lasting 3 minutes and 10 seconds, should be performed during significant occasions like the President's arrival and the unfurling of the tricolor.

The directive stated that the assembly must stand in attention while the national song is performed.

In March, the Supreme Court declined to hear a petition challenging the circular regarding the singing of Vande Mataram at official functions and schools, noting that the directive was not compulsory.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, remarked that there were no penalties for failing to sing the song, deeming the plea premature.

The Centre is currently commemorating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram.

On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly resolved that the composition known as Jana Gana Mana would serve as India's national anthem, with potential alterations authorized by the government as necessary.

Vande Mataram, which played a pivotal role in India's freedom struggle, will now be honored with equal status alongside Jana Gana Mana.