President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to a Bill that provides legal protection to Vande Mataram, India’s national song. The legislation brings the song under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, giving it protection similar to that already available to the national anthem.
The amendment makes it an offence to intentionally prevent the singing of Vande Mataram or cause a disturbance at an assembly where the national song is being sung.
The move expands the scope of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. Until now, the law specifically prohibited people from deliberately stopping the singing of the national anthem or disrupting an assembly engaged in singing it.
With the President’s assent, similar safeguards will now apply to Vande Mataram. The law is intended to protect the dignity of the national song during official events, public programmes and other organised assemblies.
The legislation does not mean that every comment or criticism related to Vande Mataram will automatically become a criminal offence. Its main focus is on intentional obstruction or disruption during the singing of the song.
Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, holds an important place in India’s freedom movement and national history. The song inspired the country’s independence struggle and was later recognised as India’s national song. Jana Gana Mana remains the national anthem.
The amendment is expected to strengthen the legal framework for maintaining respect towards India’s national symbols. It also places the national song and national anthem under a similar statutory protection in cases involving deliberate disruption during their performance.
