The maiden journey of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express in Kerala has become the center of a political storm after students were filmed singing an RSS anthem. The performance, involving students from Saraswathi Vidyanikethan Public School, took place on Saturday, shortly after Prime Minister Modi officially launched the train virtually. The Southern Railway’s initial social media post of the video drew criticism and was subsequently deleted, though it reappeared later with translated lyrics.
The school principal defended the song choice, characterizing it as a patriotic Malayalam piece voluntarily sung by the students. He clarified that the performance was not directed by the railway authorities and questioned the necessity of a government probe. He also highlighted the disturbing trend of online harassment faced by the students.
In response to the controversy, Kerala’s General Education Minister V Sivankutty has mandated an investigation. The minister stated that using children in government events to promote any group’s communal agenda is unacceptable and contravenes constitutional and secular tenets. He stressed the government’s dedication to upholding secular and national values.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticized the inclusion of the RSS song, describing it as a clear breach of constitutional mandates. He expressed his view that the Railways had been influenced by ‘Sangh Parivar politics’ and urged for a unified stand by all secular and democratic groups against such attempts to inject communalism into public spheres.
Defending the students, Union Minister Suresh Gopi described the singing as a spontaneous display of patriotism, noting the song’s non-extremist nature. Minister of State George Kurian also supported the students, posing the question of what exactly is ‘communal’ about the ‘gana geetham’, and suggesting that anti-national elements might be behind the outcry.
The incident has brought Kerala’s deep-seated ideological differences into sharp focus, with the state government viewing it as a secular violation and the BJP interpreting it as an innocent patriotic expression. The ongoing probe is expected to shed further light on the complex interplay of culture, politics, and secularism.