In a pointed push to impose a Hindutva narrative in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has hailed the singing of Vande Mataram as “our identity, strength, and vow,” urging the people of the Muslim-majority territory to embrace it as a symbol of patriotism and national unity.   

According to Kashmir Media Service, Sinha made the remarks during the closing ceremony of a week-long “Special Phase” commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram at Abhinav Theatre, Jammu.  The Lieutenant Governor described Vande Mataram as “not just verses but a profound experience woven into our civilization’s fabric”.   

Observers say the celebrations and the public push for Vande Mataram constitute an extension of a broader campaign by the BJP regime, Indian army, and police establishment, backed by draconian laws, to impose Hindu nationalist narratives in a disputed, Muslim-majority territory.   Critics argue that Kashmiris are being pressured to perform acts of allegiance that contradict local cultural and religious identity, with political and civic participation framed solely through a Hindutva lens.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)