Srinagar, Feb 11: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Wednesday said that Vande Mataram has always been sung by Indians from the heart, not because of any order.
“Tell me, who doesn’t sing Vande Mataram in India? People don’t need any direction for it. They sing it from the heart,” Choudhary told reporters in Jammu while responding to recent guidelines on the singing of the national song.
The Deputy CM said the song holds deep emotional and historical significance, having been sung by people of all faiths during India’s freedom struggle. “Before 1947, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians sang Vande Mataram with emotion and unity. It symbolised the spirit of independence, not compulsion,” he said, adding that anything sung from the heart carries passion and passion always leads to sacrifice.
Hitting out at the BJP, Choudhary said, “I want to remind those in the BJP who often raise slogans in Jammu and Kashmir that they once promised to bring ten heads in exchange for one. We are still waiting for that day. Let us hope their promises are not as hollow as the ones about Rs 15 lakh in every account or two crore jobs.”
He further added that the country’s real need is employment for the youth, not religious polarisation. “India has enough temples, mosques and gurudwaras. What we need are jobs for the educated and unemployed youth. The government’s priority should be livelihood, not where a temple or mosque is being built,” the Deputy CM said—(KNO)
