New Delhi, 9 December (Daily Kiran) . Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday began the discussion in the Rajya Sabha marking the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. He said that debating this immortal work in both houses of Parliament will help future generations understand its true significance, pride, and connection to national consciousness.
Shah emphasized that ‘Vande Mataram’ is not just a song but an eternal symbol of devotion, duty, and dedication to Mother India, which awakened the spirit of the freedom struggle. He stated that this song was the reason behind the country’s independence in those times and will be a slogan for development and greatness during the Amrit Kaal.
He criticized those linking the discussion of ‘Vande Mataram’ to the Bengal elections, saying they are trying to undermine its historical and cultural importance. According to Shah, this topic transcends politics and is a matter of national pride.
The Home Minister noted the song’s relevance at the time of its creation, during the freedom movement, today, and in the building of a developed India by 2047. He shared that patriotic meetings during the independence struggle always began with ‘Vande Mataram’, and even now, soldiers on the borders speak these words as they make the ultimate sacrifice.
Targeting the opposition, Shah said many members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leave the house when the song is sung in Parliament. He recalled that in 1992, when BJP members Ram Naik and L.K. Advani restarted the collective singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Lok Sabha, several opposition parties had opposed it.
Shah launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of dividing the national song through politics of appeasement. He said, “Many like me believe that if Congress had not split ‘Vande Mataram’ under appeasement politics, the country would not have been divided and India would have remained whole.”
He mentioned that when ‘Vande Mataram’ completed 50 years, the country was not yet independent, and after independence, during its golden jubilee, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru limited the song to two stanzas, marking the beginning of appeasement, according to Shah.
The Home Minister detailed the historical background, cultural significance, and national impact of ‘Vande Mataram’. He said Banchin Chandra Chattopadhyay first publicly presented the composition on 7 November 1875. Soon, it grew from a literary masterpiece to a source of inspiration for the Indian freedom struggle and a mantra for national awakening.
Quoting Maharshi Arvind, Shah said, “Vande Mataram is the mantra of India’s rebirth.” He recalled that when the British banned ‘Vande Mataram’, Bankim Babu had declared that all his works could be thrown into the Ganges, but ‘Vande Mataram’ would remain alive forever and rebuild India.
Shah emphasized that India was created not by battles or treaties but shaped by centuries-old culture. Banchin Babu was the first to awaken this cultural nationalism. He said India is not just a landmass but the mother of millions, and this sentiment is best expressed in ‘Vande Mataram’.
The Home Minister highlighted that ‘Vande Mataram’ inspired patriotism from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from the Gadar movement in Punjab to Ganpati celebrations in Maharashtra, and from translations by Subramania Bharati in Tamil Nadu to the Indian Ocean. In 1907, a newspaper named ‘Bande Mataram’, edited by Arvind Ghosh, was published but later banned by the British.
Shah said figures from the Ramayana, including Lord Rama, Acharya Shankar, and Chanakya, have all praised the motherland. Bankim Babu revived this eternal feeling and presented Bharat Mata as a combined form of Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Durga.
He noted that when ‘Vande Mataram’ turned 100 years old, it was not honoured because during the Emergency, people singing the song were jailed and the country was kept under repression.
Urging members of Parliament, Shah said it is a shared responsibility to promote the spirit, values, and dedication of ‘Vande Mataram’ among the youth. “We must revive the feeling of ‘Vande Mataram’ in every child’s heart and realise Bankim Babu’s vision of a great India as seen through this composition,” he said.
He clarified that the discussion on ‘Vande Mataram’ in Parliament is not due to upcoming elections but because the song is the soul of India and its resonance will inspire the building of a developed India.
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(Daily Kiran) / Sushil Kumar
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