An official inquiry has been ordered in Kerala after students were recorded singing a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) song during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express. The incident, which occurred on Saturday following the train’s virtual flagging-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has ignited a political firestorm. The video, initially posted and then removed by Southern Railway from its social media, was re-uploaded with English captions.
Students from Saraswathi Vidyanikethan Public School in Ernakulam were involved in the performance. The school’s principal defended the students, asserting that the song was patriotic and that their decision to sing it was spontaneous. He expressed bewilderment at the government’s decision to launch a probe and voiced strong objections to the cyberbullying directed at the young students.
Kerala’s Education Minister V Sivankutty swiftly ordered a probe, deeming the act a violation of constitutional and secular values. His statement condemned the use of children for promoting the communal agenda of any organization during official functions, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding secular and national principles.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also condemned the event, characterizing the RSS song as representative of an organization promoting ‘hate mongering.’ He alleged that the Railways had been compromised by ‘Sangh Parivar’ ideology and called for a united front from secular and democratic groups to counter the communalization of public institutions.
Conversely, the BJP has rallied behind the students. Union Minister Suresh Gopi described the singing as a patriotic impulse, arguing that the song itself was not extremist. Minister of State George Kurian questioned the basis of the ‘communal’ accusation against the students, implying that critics might have ulterior motives.
This incident has amplified the ideological fault lines in Kerala’s political landscape. The state government sees it as a breach of secularism, while the BJP portrays it as an innocent patriotic expression. The upcoming probe is anticipated to address the broader implications for cultural expression and secularism in India.