New Delhi [India], December 7 : As the national song completes 150 years, the Parliament is set to hold a special discussion on 'Vande Mataram' in both lower and upper houses tomorrow and the day after, respectively.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed 'Vande Mataram' and first published it in the literary journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875. It was first used as a political slogan in August 1905 by students who protested against the British Crown, demanding freedom near the town hall in Calcutta (Kolkata). This student procession promoted the idea of 'Swadeshi' and boycotting British goods.
From 1905 to 1947, many who fought for freedom raised 'Vande Mataram' as a political slogan against the British, inspiring a sense of patriotism. In other words, the slogan became a political war cry, especially among nationalists, after the death of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
The year 1905 remains essential for the Partition of Bengal, announced by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, who divided the province under the pretext of administering it more effectively. However, the actual reason was to weaken the Indian nationalist movement.
The Congress, in its 1937 Faizabad session, used only the first two stanzas of the poem Vande Mataram to keep it secular, since Chatterjee had invoked Hindu goddesses in the later stanzas. Even though it became a political slogan, it wasn't until January 24, 1950, that Vande Mataram was adopted as the national song by the Constituent Assembly.
A political storm is brewing, and a special debate in Parliament follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusation that the Congress removed significant verses from 'Vande Mataram'. The PM had claimed that this removal "sowed the seeds for partition".
"In 1937, significant verses of 'Vande Mataram', the very essence of its spirit, were removed. Stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' were broken up. Today's generation needs to understand why such injustice was committed against this great mantra of nation-building. Because that same divisive mindset continues to pose a major challenge for the nation even today," the Prime Minister said on November 7.
However, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit back at PM Modi for his remarks, saying that it was a decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that included many iconic leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, among others.
"The Prime Minister has insulted this CWC as well as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. That he should have done so is shocking but not surprising since the RSS had played no role in our Freedom Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi," Ramesh had posted on X on November 9.
Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion on December 8 to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, during which several important, lesser-known historical facets of the iconic national song are expected to be highlighted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to initiate the debate at 12 noon on Monday, marking the formal beginning of the proceedings. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to speak at the conclusion of the discussion.
The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while a total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday, December 9.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to open the discussion in the Upper House.
Eight leaders from Congress will also speak in the Lok Sabha, which includes Deputy Lok Sabha LoP Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda, Bimol Akoijam, Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Chamala Reddy, and Jyotsna Mahant.
The Winter session of Parliament commenced on December 1 and will continue till December 19.