Sikhs will not sing Vande Mataram

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has asked Sikhs not to sing the national song Vande Mataram on its centenary on September 7.

A section of the Muslim community has also objected to the idea of making the singing of the song mandatory in all educational institutions.

"Vande Mataram will not be sung in SGPC-run schools. It's a conspiracy to extend communalism throughout the nation," SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said. Most SGPC-run schools are government-aided.

The Sikh community in the country had been asked not to sing the national song, "as it only spreads a particular religion and does not fulfill the aspirations of minorities, including Sikhs, Muslims and Christians," Makkar told PTI.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann has also announced that Akali leaders would go to all schools in Punjab and ensure that no student is forced to sing Vande Mataram.

Some Bharatiya Janata Party and RSS leaders have called for making it mandatory for schoolchildren to recite the first two stanzas of the song penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.