Boycott Forcible Vande Mataram On Sept 7

[nanosecond]

Sikhs Refuse to Sing Vande Mataram

By SSNews, times of india, hindu, tribune

Sep 5, 2006, 15:35

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Panthic groups and SGPC chief Jathedar Avtar Makkar has appealed toinstitutions, especially schools and colleges, run by the Sikh community not to sing "Vande Mataram" on September 7.

In a statement, Jathedar Makkar appealed to the community to sing the hymn, authored by Guru Gobind Singh, "De Shiva bar mohe eh, subh karman te kabhon na taron" (Oh Lord, grant me this boon, that I may not hesitate from performing action).

He said India was a multi-religious and multi-lingual nation. Hence imposing a song that reflected just one religion was bound to hurt the sentiments of Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other religious minorities.

The "Vande Mataram" centenary celebration was a political move of the Congress to appease the Hindu community through a campaign in which public funds were being utilised, he charged.

"The entire effort would sow seeds of communalism in the national fabric."

SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann said his party would oppose the BJP’s proposed Vande Matram Yatra in Punjab. He said his party would not allow the “imposition of Hindutva” in schools.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Congress and the BJP were hand in glove. He said forcing the schoolchildren to recite Vande Mataram on September 7 was nothing short of forcible imposition of Hindutva in schools.

He said leaders would go to schools and ensure that no child was forced to sing Vande Mataram. He said the move was part of the great Hindutva agenda of the BJP and the Congress.

Meanwhile, also critical of this move to push Vande Mataram on Sikh students, the Sikh League, also issued a press release:

Sikh League, the religio-political front of International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO), today asked the powers that be to call a halt to exploiting the sentiments and religious feelings and beliefs of people just for petty political gains in forthcoming elections.

The well celebrated litany of Hindu faith Vande Mataram is being used for this sinister design, interestingly both by the ruling coterie and the fascist elements in the Opposition to the utter dismay and disgust of several cultural and religious minorities living in India, further says the Sikh League.

Sikh League secretary-general D S Gill, chief coordinator M S Grewal and secretary Jatinder Singh Sandhu, in a statement here, said, "The furor about the recital of Vande Mataram on September 7 demonstrates how deep-rooted is the conspiracy between the so-called secular and fascist forces of the country to exploit sentiments of the people for their respective electoral advantages."

While, on the other hand, they said, the Article 28 of the Constitution very clearly says, "No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of state funds and no person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction."

Not only that, they added, even the Supreme Court of India's ruling that the singing of the National Anthem cannot be made obligatory applies both to Vande Mataram and Saraswati Vandana (a hymn to the Goddess Saraswati ) with yet greater force.

The Sikh League has, thus, called upon all people living in India , irrespective of caste, creed or political views, to beware of these political thugs (cheats) and maintain communal harmony in order to frustrate their nefarious and sinister designs.

D S Gill Advocate

secrerary-general.sikhleague@ihro.in

Interestingly now AVTAr MAKKAR has changed.......he says its ok to sing Vande mataram

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

doesn't "vande mataram" just mean long-live the motherland?

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

Mother, I bow to thee!

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

bright with orchard gleams,

Cool with thy winds of delight,

Green fields waving Mother of might,

Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,

Over thy branches and lordly streams,

Clad in thy blossoming trees,

Mother, giver of ease

Laughing low and sweet!

Mother I kiss thy feet,

Speaker sweet and low!

Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands

When swords flash out in seventy million hands

And seventy million voices roar

Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?

With many strengths who art mighty and stored,

To thee I call Mother and Lord!

Thou who saves, arise and save!

To her I cry who ever her foe drove

Back from plain and sea

And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,

Thou art heart, our soul, our breath

Though art love divine, the awe

In our hearts that conquers death.

Thine the strength that nerves the arm,

Thine the beauty, thine the charm.

Every image made divine

In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,

With her hands that strike and her

swords of sheen,

Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,

And the Muse a hundred-toned,

Pure and perfect without peer,

Mother lend thine ear,

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

Bright with thy orchard gleems,

Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair

And thy glorious smile divine,

Loveliest of all earthly lands,

Showering wealth from well-stored hands!

Mother, mother mine!

Mother sweet, I bow to thee,

Mother great and free!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vande_Mataram

OK, now i get the controversy after reading the whole song. Kind of promotes idol -like worship of the earth. Well, I hope the "moderates" who say khalistan is the whole world not just some territory for sikhs shoud step up and toe the same line and say sikhs do not support just one peice of land (India) as supreme....you know who you are. Now let's see all you "philisophical" sikhs step up for this boycott of vande mataram.

peace.

[Mehtab Singh]

I say all patriotic Indians should sing it. No, not Vande Mataram, but rather Bande maarte hum.

[Tony]

Fateh

This song has been in India and has been sung in every school for the past 100 years. All State and private schools sing this.

How come our leaders just thought of this esp when it is nearing the elections. Beaware of these muppets, they are just here to cause trouble.

Ok I understand that the Govt can force the state schools to sing this as part of their cirrculum. But how come the SGPC schools are already singing this song and now they are boycotting this. Didnt these idiots think what should be the main prayer of the SGPC run so called Sikh Schools since the past odd 80 years.

Once again Beaware of these tactics used by our so called leaders. They are just causing trouble by stirring things and diverting the attention from more important matters.

Fateh . . . . . . . .

[Pyara]

Fateh

This song has been in India and has been sung in every school for the past 100 years. All State and private schools sing this.

How come our leaders just thought of this esp when it is nearing the elections. Beaware of these muppets, they are just here to cause trouble.

Ok I understand that the Govt can force the state schools to sing this as part of their cirrculum. But how come the SGPC schools are already singing this song and now they are boycotting this. Didnt these idiots think what should be the main prayer of the SGPC run so called Sikh Schools since the past odd 80 years.

Once again Beaware of these tactics used by our so called leaders. They are just causing trouble by stirring things and diverting the attention from more important matters.

Fateh . . . . . . . .

I know what you mean bruv! People got their hidden agendas.

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

How come our leaders just thought of this esp when it is nearing the elections. Beaware of these muppets, they are just here to cause trouble.

it was not "our leaders" who started this.

"But the controversy shows no sign of dying down so easily. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Shiv Sena have raised an uproar in Parliament, that not reciting the national song amounted to 'insulting' the country and martyrs."

http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/aug/24vande-msg.htm

BJP, Shiv Sena, etc are not our leaders, but right-wing hindutva thugs.

Yes, we should be aware of these people's intentions. But it is also important to know who the people are.

This song has been in India and has been sung in every school for the past 100 years. All State and private schools sing this.

this is not true. jana gana mana is also considered the national anthem of india.

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,

dispenser of India's destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country,

in the Dravida country, Utkala (Orissa) and Bengal;

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,

it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters Jamuna and the Ganges.

They chant only thy name,

they seek only thy blessings,

They sing only thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand,

thou dispenser of India's destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

http://www.indianconsulate.org/knowindia.html

The Indian gov't website itself states that jana gana mana is the national anthem of india:

http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_anthem.php

so, i don't know what hindutva schools are singing vande mataram as national anthem.

peace.

[Guest PunjabSingh]

Wait till 'Ram Leela' is made compulsory by RSS/BJP.

Then wearing 'sindoor' for woman might be made compulsory.Remember RSS/BJP considers Sikhs as Hindus.

Not only this Jains,Buddhists,Sikhs are considered Hindus by the Indian constitution in Article 25.

This thing has to stop right here and now.

[Guest Papi]

i have no problem singing vande mataram if i could live in india and not be treated like a 2nd class citizen in this so called multi-cutural country