Maharashtra Govt Issues Resolution, Urges Officials To Greet With 'Vande Mataram' Instead Of 'Hello'

The Eknath Sambhaji Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Sunday (October 2) launched a campaign appealing to employees and officials to say "Vande Mataram" while answering phone calls instead of "Hello".

Sudhir Mungantiwar, the State Minister for Cultural Affairs, attended a rally held in the Wardha district on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and said, "Vande Mataram means we are bowing before our mother. Hence, it is our appeal to the people to say Vande Mataram instead of Hello".

वर्धा या म.गांधींच्या कर्मभूमीतून आज "हॅलो ऐवजी वंदे मातरम्" या अभियानाचा शुभारंभ उपमुख्यमंत्री @Dev_Fadnavis यांच्या हस्ते झाले. त्यावेळी झालेल्या प्रचंड जनसभेत "हॅलो ऐवजी वंदे मातरम्" या अभियानाची पार्श्वभूमी सांगितली. @InfoWardha @RVikhePatil @watermanofindia #Vandematram pic.twitter.com/OcGOWhi7KP

— Sudhir Mungantiwar (@SMungantiwar) October 2, 2022

Government Resolution Issued

A Government Resolution (GR) was issued on Saturday, wherein it had been appealed to employees and officers under Maharashtra governance to greet people during official or personal phone calls by saying "Vande Mataram" instead of "Hello".

The GR mentioned that although it is not mandatory, the heads of departments should encourage their staff to follow so, as reported by NDTV.

It stated that the word "Hello" is a depiction of western culture, does not have any specific meaning and is just a formality not arousing any emotion. Further, greeting people with "Vande Mataram" will inculcate a feeling of affection, which should be promoted by conducting an awareness campaign.

What Did Minister Mungantiwar Say?

Mungantiwar referred to an instance from India's freedom movement wherein British rulers banned the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" (long live the revolution) and 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."

The Minister for Cultural Affairs added that banning that slogan inspired many people to join the freedom movement, and India eventually gained independence. He said even Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, had supported (chanting of) Vande Mataram and had written so in a column published at that time.

Audiobook On Key Personalities From State

During the rally, Mungantiwar revealed that their government plans to develop an audiobook on 850 critical personalities from the state who played a significant role in the formation of Maharashtra.

He added that, like the audiobook, the government would also come up with MaharashtraTel, where stories and information about critical personalities and their contribution will be available in audio format, which people can listen to while travelling or at any time.

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