Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Secretary of Kerala has issued an official letter to all state government departments mandating the complete singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ during the upcoming Independence Day celebrations. The order comes in accordance with special directives from the Union Ministry of Culture.

The letter specifies that the national song must be sung in its entirety at all public functions organised under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, which runs from August 9 to August 17. The Chief Secretary instructed that the song should be rendered as a chorus when people gather for official events.
The communication further cautioned against any disrespect to ‘Vande Mataram’, pointing out that showing disrespect is a punishable offence and emphasising that the order must be implemented with full legal seriousness. Previously, it was common practice at many events to sing only an abbreviated portion of the song.

The Union Government had highlighted the historical relevance of the directive, noting that this year marks the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’.