The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to file a response on a plea seeking declaration that ‘Vande Mataram’ be honoured equally with national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, asserting that the song played a historic part in the struggle for India’s Independence.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said they will first go through the stand of the Central government.
The bench was hearing the PIL filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who further sought that the song ‘Vande Mataram’ should have an equal status with ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in the spirit of the statement made by the Constituent Assembly Chairman Dr Rajendra Prasad with regard to the National Anthem, on January 24, 1950.
It may be noted that the Central government’s response has been filed but the same was not on record.
The home ministry in its reply submitted that the National Anthem and the National Song both have their sanctity and deserve equal respect. However, the subject matter of the present proceedings could never be a subject matter of a writ.
The ministry in its reply further apprised the court of similar matters being refused previously by the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court.
Both ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and’ Vande Mataram’ stand on same level and every citizen of the country should show equal respect to the both. The National Song occupies a unique and special place in the emotions and psyche of the people of India, the Centre had said in its reply.
The PIL filed by Upadhyay sought directions to:
1. Honour ‘Vande Mataram’ equally with ‘Jana-Gana-Mana’, considering the historic part that it played in the struggle for Indian freedom.
2. To grant equal status in spirit of the statement made by the Constituent Assembly Chairman Dr Rajendra Prasad with regard to the National Anthem, on January 24, 1950.
3. That ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ are played and sung in all schools and educational institutions on every working day.
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