Kolkata, May 20 (AHN) The West Bengal Directorate of Madrasah Education has made the singing of "Vande Mataram" mandatory during assembly prayers before classes in all government, aided and recognised madrasahs across the state with immediate effect, confirmed Khudiram Tudu, the minister in charge of Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education in the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government headed by the new and ninth Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.

“Like all other state-run schools in the state, singing ‘Vande Mataram’ will henceforth be mandatory in all recognised madrasahs as well. There are many state-run schools in West Bengal where the medium of instruction is the Santali language. If singing ‘Vande Mataram’ is compulsory in those schools, why should the same not be mandatory in recognised madrasahs?” Tudu told AHN.

In this regard, the West Bengal Directorate of Madrasah Education also issued an official order making the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in all state-aided madrasahs in West Bengal.

“I am directed to order that, in supersession of all previous orders and practices, singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ during assembly prayers prior to the commencement of classes is hereby made mandatory in all Madrasahs (Govt. Model Madrasahs (English Medium) / Recognised Govt. Aided Madrasahs / Approved MSKs / Approved SSKs / Recognised Unaided Madrasahs) under the Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department across the state of West Bengal with immediate effect. This order is issued with the approval of the competent authority,” read the order issued by the Director of Madrasah Education, West Bengal.

Earlier, on the evening of May 13, the West Bengal Education Department issued an official notification making the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in state-run schools, which had been announced earlier in the day.

The new and ninth West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, shared the notification issued by the administrative branch of the state School Education Department on the wall of his official social media handle on the evening of May 14.

“It is hereby ordered that, in supersession of all previous orders and practices, the Government of West Bengal has mandated the singing of the national song of Bharat — ‘Vande Mataram’ — during school assembly prayers before the commencement of classes in all schools under the School Education Department across West Bengal with immediate effect,” read the notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary to the state Education Department on May 14.