Srinagar: In another blatant attempt to impose the Hindutva ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the authorities in Doda district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has issued an order making the recitation of the Indian Hindu song ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in all schools, triggering outrage across the Muslim-majority territory.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the directive issued by Doda’s Chief Education Officer on November 1 instructs all school heads to ensure that ‘Vande Mataram’ is recited during morning assemblies every Monday. The order has been widely condemned by religious leaders, political organizations, and members of civil society as a direct assault on the religious freedom of Muslims.


Senior APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who also heads the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU), a conglomerate of religious organizations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, also condemned the move, saying it reflects a “deliberate attempt to enforce RSS-driven Hindutva ideology on the Muslim-majority population in Kashmir.” He said true patriotism does not demand violating one’s faith, stressing that such coercive policies are eroding the secular fabric of India itself.