West Bengal government mandates singing Vande Mataram in all State-run schools during morning assembly

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday (May 14, 2026) issued an order mandating the singing of National Song “Vande Mataram” in all State-run schools during school assembly prayers before commencement of classes

“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, effective immediately,” Mr. Adhikari posted on social media, sharing the notification by the School Education Department.

The notification reserves the order by the Trinamool Congress in November 2025 where the government made it mandatory for all schools run and aided by the State Government to sing the State Song, Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol, during their morning assembly. The Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol is a 1905 composition of Rabindranath Tagore, which means ‘The Soil of Bengal, The Water of Bengal’.

In February 2026, the Union government had said in a set of instructions to States and other government bodies that the national song Vande Mataram should be sung or played before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana when both the songs are played at an event.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had also organised a debate in Parliament to mark the 150th anniversary of the song being written by Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

During the campaign for the West Bengal Assembly polls, the BJP leadership had accused the Trinamool Congress government of not giving due recognition to Vande Mataram. Some members of the family of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay also joined the BJP. Sumitro Chatterjee, a descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay contested and won the Naihati Assembly seat in North 24 Parganas on a BJP ticket.