📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jasleen Kaur
Religion
Petition Submitted to Akal Takht in Amritsar Opposing Mandatory Vande Mataram
✍️ Amar Ujala · Amritsar
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 10:02 PM
👁 1
A petition was handed over to the Akal Takht in Amritsar demanding that the compulsory singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ be withdrawn.
A petition has been presented to the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhism, in Amritsar, calling for an end to the compulsory rendition of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. The document was handed over by a group of concerned individuals who argue that mandatory singing infringes on religious sentiments.
‘Vande Mataram’, adopted as a national song of India, is often required in schools, government offices and public events. While it enjoys widespread patriotic acceptance, some Sikh organisations contend that the lyrics conflict with their faith, particularly the reference to the motherland as a deity.
The Akal Takht, located within the Golden Temple complex, has the jurisdiction to address matters that affect Sikh doctrine and practice. The petition seeks the Takht’s intervention to issue a directive that exempts Sikhs from any enforced recitation of the song.
According to Sikh procedural norms, the Takht will review the petition, consult religious scholars and may convene a meeting of its executive committee before arriving at a decision. The outcome could influence how the song is administered in institutions across Punjab and potentially other states with sizable Sikh populations.
The submission adds to a series of recent debates in India over the balance between national symbols and religious freedom, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between state policies and community beliefs.
‘Vande Mataram’, adopted as a national song of India, is often required in schools, government offices and public events. While it enjoys widespread patriotic acceptance, some Sikh organisations contend that the lyrics conflict with their faith, particularly the reference to the motherland as a deity.
The Akal Takht, located within the Golden Temple complex, has the jurisdiction to address matters that affect Sikh doctrine and practice. The petition seeks the Takht’s intervention to issue a directive that exempts Sikhs from any enforced recitation of the song.
According to Sikh procedural norms, the Takht will review the petition, consult religious scholars and may convene a meeting of its executive committee before arriving at a decision. The outcome could influence how the song is administered in institutions across Punjab and potentially other states with sizable Sikh populations.
The submission adds to a series of recent debates in India over the balance between national symbols and religious freedom, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between state policies and community beliefs.