Madhya Pradesh: Vande Mataram is back, as 1km patriotic march

BHOPAL: The Kamal Nath government has put Vande Mataram on a higher pedestal than the former BJP administration, restoring the tradition of reciting it at the secretariat on the first working day of every month, but turning it into a patriotic march of 1km from Shaurya Smarak to the secretariat, to the tunes of a police band. Citizens are encouraged to join in, and the session will conclude with the National Anthem.
"On the first working day of every month, a police band playing the tunes to encourage patriotic feeling will march from Shaurya Smarak at 10.45am to Vallabh Bhawan (secretariat) where both Vande Matram and National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana) will be sung," said a statement issued by the government on Thursday.
On New Year's Day, the Congress government had suspended the practice of starting the month with Vande Mataram recital, triggering controversy. CM Kamal Nath had issued a statement that night that he would bring it back in a new avatar. And he did so within two days.
The statement issued on Thursday says the government will encourage public participation in the event, which will be attended by ministers as well.