PH Parekh in PIL for guidelines on playing, singing Vande Mataram

The Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice G. Rohini and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal have issued notice in a PIL that seeks the framing of rules and protocols for the playing and singing of the country’s national song, Vande Mataram. The PIL has also sought an amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 so that the national song and the national anthem are placed at par..The idea behind the PIL, filed by industrialist and philanthropist Gautam Moraka, was to give the national song “the respect and dignity that it deserves.”.The petitioner states,.“That the absence of any set of Rules regarding the rendering of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ and protocols to be followed while playing/singing of the National Song, unintentional disrespect is being committed by common people to the National Song. This offends the patriotic sentiments of the public at large and thus, the present writ petition has been filed by the Petitioner.”.Senior Advocate P.H. Parekh, appearing for the petitioner, contended that despite the obvious historical importance of the song, there were no rules or regulations regarding the protocol to be followed for the playing of the National Song, unlike the orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the National Anthem..Originally conceived as a revolt against the British trying to force their anthem ‘God Save the Queen’ on the Indians, Vande Mataram soon grew to become a symbol of India’s independence struggle..The petition reads,.“Vande Mataram – literally – “I bow to thee, Mother” – is a poem from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1882 novel Anandamath. Around 1870, the British rulers were trying hard to force their anthem, God Save the Queen, on Indians. This made a deep impact on Bankim Chandra’s mind, and he wrote Bande Mataram in one sitting. He wrote the song as a prayer in which the nation ‘Bharat’ was described as ‘The Mother’.”.After issuing notice, the bench asked the government to file the “necessary response” before February 8 next year.