Maharashtra government launches campaign
Appealing to people to say 'Vande Mataram' on phone calls instead of 'Hello'
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government on Sunday launched a campaign appealing to people to say "Vande Mataram" while receiving phone calls instead of Hello .
"Vande Mataram means we are bowing before our mother. Hence, it is our appeal to the people to say Vande Mataram instead of Hello, state Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said at a rally held in Wardha district on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Saturday had appealed to Maharashtra government employees and officers to greet people by saying "Vande Mataram" instead of "Hello" during official or personal phone calls.
It is not mandatory, but the heads of departments should encourage their staff to do so, the GR said.
It said 'Hello' depicted western culture and the word did not have any specific meaning. "The word is just a formality which does not arouse any emotion," the GR said.
Greeting people by saying "Vande Mataram" will create a feeling of affection, it said, adding that an awareness campaign should be conducted to promote it.
At the event in Wadha on Sunday, Mungantiwar said, If people want to say 'Jai Bhim' or 'Jai Shri Ram', or even mention their parents' names while answering a phone call all forms are ok with us. Our appeal is to avoid saying Hello while receiving a call."
During the independence movement, a slogan like "Inquilab Zindabad" (long live the revolution) was banned by the British rulers, he said.
"But, it inspired many people to join the (freedom) movement and eventually we got independence. Even Mahatma Gandhi had supported (chanting of) Vande Mataram and he had written so in a column published at that time, he said.
Mungantiwar also said the state government will come up with an audiobook on 850 key personalities from Maharashtra who played a major role in the formation of the state.
Like the audiobook, we will also come up with MaharashtraTel, where stories and information about key personalities and their contribution will be available in audio format. People can listen to it while travelling as well, he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
