MMU urges J&K admin to take back order on Vande Mataram

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a grouping of religious bodies across J&K and Ladakh led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Wednesday termed the Jammu and Kashmir government’s directive to schools to organise musical and cultural programmes to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, with mandatory participation from all students and staff, un-Islamic and a deliberate attempt to impose RSS-driven Hindu ideology in the Muslim majority region.

The MMU leadership, including grand mufti Nasirul Islam and Maulana Rehmatullah, said the directive contradicts the fundamental Islamic belief of absolute oneness of Allah, and urged lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and chief minister Omar Abdullah to withdraw the “coercive directive”.

“Singing or reciting Vande Mataram is un-Islamic, as it contains expressions of devotion that contradict the fundamental Islamic belief in the absolute Oneness of Allah (Tawheed). Islam does not permit any act that involves worship or reverence directed to anyone or anything other than the Creator,” said a statement issued by the MMU.


According to the circular issued by the central government, schools across various states have been asked to conduct special assemblies this month where students and teachers will sing the national song. The culture department of J&K government has also directed all schools in the Union Territory to organise such programmes from November 7.

THE MMU asserted that while Muslims are urged to deeply love and serve their homeland, that devotion should be expressed through service, compassion and contribution to society—not through acts conflicting with faith. “Forcing Muslim students or institutions to participate in activities that conflict with their faith is both unjust and unacceptable,” they said.

The body said that the directive appeared to be a deliberate attempt to “impose an RSS driven Hindutva ideology on a Muslim-majority region" under the guise of cultural celebration, rather than promoting genuine unity and respect for diversity.

“It has caused a lot of anguish among the Muslims of the region who are reaching out to the religious leadership… to take up this serious concern,” said the MMU statement.

Calling for withdrawal of the directive, it said, “This has caused anguish to all Muslims and ensure that no students or institution is compelled to act against their religious beliefs.”

The MMU said that if the government didn't take immediate steps it would have to convene a meeting of all religious leaders across the state to deliberate on how to tackle this serious issue.