Kerala Governor objects to truncated Vande Mataram

The Kerala Legislative Assembly witnessed a significant breach of protocol on Friday, May 29, during the Governor's policy address, as the state police band played only a truncated instrumental version of the national song, Vande Mataram. This action directly contravened a directive from the Governor's office, Lok Bhavan, which had insisted the song be performed in its entirety during official functions attended by the Governor.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed his displeasure over the incident, stating that proper protocol should be followed when he is present. He confirmed that he had insisted Vande Mataram be sung fully and noted that in the Assembly, it was only played and not sung. The Governor said he has spoken to the Assembly Speaker about the matter.

The controversy marks an early confrontation between the newly sworn-in Congress-led UDF government and Lok Bhavan. Political circles interpreted the government's decision to sideline the directive as a signal that it will not easily yield ground on matters of convention and protocol. The Governor's office is equally unlikely to retreat quietly after its instruction was publicly ignored, setting the tone for...