A significant political controversy has erupted in Kerala following a video of school students singing a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ‘gana geetham’ during the inaugural journey of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express. The incident occurred shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually initiated the train service. Initially shared by Southern Railway on social media, the video was later removed amidst criticism, only to be re-uploaded with an English translation of the lyrics.
The students are from Saraswathi Vidyanikethan Public School in Elamakkara, Ernakulam. The school principal defended the students’ actions, stating the song was patriotic and sung voluntarily, not at the behest of Southern Railway. He expressed confusion over the Education Minister’s decision to order a probe and voiced concern about the cyberbullying targeting the children.
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty reacted strongly, ordering an inquiry into the matter. He deemed the singing a violation of constitutional and secular principles, emphasizing the state’s commitment to protecting national values and condemning the politicization of children for communal agendas.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also condemned the act, labeling the RSS anthem as belonging to an organization with a ‘communal ideology and hate mongering.’ He accused the Railways of succumbing to ‘Sangh Parivar politics’ and called for unity among secular and democratic forces to prevent the communalization of public institutions.
In contrast, Union Minister Suresh Gopi defended the students, describing their act as innocent patriotism. He questioned the reaction, stating it was not an extremist song. Minister of State George Kurian echoed this sentiment, questioning the ‘communal’ nature of the song and suggesting that those spreading anti-India sentiments might be behind the criticism.
This incident has reignited the ideological debate in Kerala, highlighting the tension between cultural expression, political ideologies, and secularism in public life as the government’s probe into the Vande Bharat song controversy continues.
