Kolkata, May 20 (IANS). It has now been made mandatory to sing ‘Vande Mataram’ during the prayer meeting before the start of classes in all government, aided and recognized madrassas in West Bengal. State Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education Minister Khudiram Tudu confirmed this.
He said that like other government schools in the state, singing ‘Vande Mataram’ will now be mandatory in recognized madrassas also.
Speaking to IANS, Tudu said, “There are many government schools in West Bengal where education is conducted in Santali language. When ‘Vande Mataram’ is mandatory in those schools, then why can’t it be made mandatory in recognized madrassas?”
In this regard, the West Bengal Directorate of Madrasa Education has issued an official order making it mandatory to sing ‘Vande Mataram’ in all aided madrasas of the state.
The order issued by the Director of Madrasa Education said that in repeal of all orders and practices issued earlier, ‘Vande Mataram’ during the prayer meeting before the commencement of classes is now made mandatory with immediate effect in all Government Model Madrasas (English Medium), Recognized Aided Madrasas, Approved MSK, Approved SSK and Recognized Unaided Madrasas under the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department of West Bengal.
Earlier on the evening of May 13, the West Bengal Education Department had also issued a notification making singing ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in all government schools of the state.
The new and ninth Chief Minister of the state, Suvendu Adhikari, had shared the notification of the Education Department on his official social media account on May 14.
The notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary said that the West Bengal government has made it mandatory with immediate effect to sing the national anthem ‘Vande Mataram’ during the prayer meeting before the commencement of classes in all schools under the school education department of the state.
–IANS
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