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A speech by a Kerala University Vice-Chancellor at a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event has sparked a political controversy in the state after he said that those who oppose singing Vande Mataram do not know who their mother is.
Mohanan Kunnummal, Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) and acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala, made the remarks while delivering the Independence Day message at Sankalp 2026, an RSS-organised gathering of youth, in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday, August 15.
In his speech, Mohanan Kunnummal said that the mother holds an important place in Indian culture, which is why India is referred to as Bharatamba (Mother India) and why Vande Mataram is sung. He added that those who oppose saying Vande Mataram are people who do not know their mother.
“In India, the mother is of paramount importance; hence, we refer to India as ‘Bharat Mata’ (Mother India). That is why we pray by saying Vande Mataram. Those who oppose saying Vande Mataram are people who don’t know who the mother is. Those who know who the mother is and understand what a mother means will always say Vande Mataram,” he said.
Mohanan Kunnummal later told The Hindu that his reference to “mother” was part of a longer speech and referred to the motherland.
The Student Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], and the All India Students' Federation (AISF) criticised the Vice-Chancellor's remarks. Mohanan Kunnummal has previously faced criticism for attending events organised by the RSS.
His remarks come amid a political controversy in Kerala over the full rendition of Vande Mataram. The controversy began after Kerala Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha directed that the Union government’s instructions on singing the national song in full be followed at physical events held as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has prescribed an official six-stanza version of Vande Mataram for occasions when the national song is sung or played. The later stanzas, which have not traditionally been part of the standard public rendition, have drawn objections over their religious imagery.
Vande Mataram was not sung at the Kerala government’s Independence Day celebrations at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sang the full version of Vande Mataram at multiple events across the state.
