'Those who don't know their mothers are opposing Vande Mataram'
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal has sparked controversy after making pointed remarks about those who oppose Vande Mataram. Speaking as the chief guest at the RSS-organised 'Sankalp 2026' programme here, Kunnummal said those who are objecting to Vande Mataram are those who do not respect their mothers.
Speaking after lighting a lamp before an image of Bharat Mata, Kunnummal said Indian culture regards the land as a mother and that singing Vande Mataram expresses respect for the motherland. The remarks, coming from the head of a state university, have drawn attention for linking opposition to a national song with an individual's understanding of motherhood and national identity.
Later, he talked about the National Education Policy. He claimed that NEP gives priority even to three-year-old children and recalled opposition to the introduction of four-year degree programmes in Kerala. Kunnummal claimed he succeeded in introducing the system at Kerala University and that it has since been adopted more widely.
Meanwhile, all Congress-ruled states, except Kerala, rendered Vande Mataram in full at Independence Day celebrations. Also, Congress faced a fresh political controversy over Vande Mataram after the full version of the national song was sung at the AICC headquarters during the Independence Day celebrations, despite the party's longstanding preference to limit official renditions to the first two verses. The episode drew criticism from the BJP, while Congress leader Jairam Ramesh defended the full rendition and rejected reports that Sonia Gandhi had tried to stop it.
Kunnummal further claimed that India manufactures around 60% of the world's medicines and that even foreigners depend on the country for medicines. He said India was returning to a better era and referred to those who had helped the "thieves" who plundered the country's wealth in the past.
Kunnummal's repeated participation in RSS-organised programmes has previously drawn criticism from different quarters, adding to the scrutiny surrounding his latest remarks.