KOLKATA: From motorcycle rallies from the ancestral house of legendary Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at Naihati to a powerhouse performance by acclaimed singer Kailash Kher at Victoria Memorial, several programmes conceptualised by Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose was held in the city on Monday to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram.
The programmes highlighted the reverence for the national song and its composer, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The Bengal Governor alao led a Vande Mataram march in a horse-drawn chariot on Monday from the Lok Bhavan to the Indian Museum. He was accompanied by people from all walks of life. Bose also was present at the Indian Museum where a rally with the Akhand Jyoti (eternal flame) was organised too.
Later, the Governor attended the Vande Virasat event at Victoria Memorial, where popular singer Kailash Kher and his band performed to a packed audience. Speaking at the Victoria Memorial, Kher said that songs are not merely a form of entertainment. They also act as spiritual enlightenment. “I have been performing for more than 20 years and have sung in 20 languages. But being here in Kolkata and celebrating 150 years of the iconic Vande Mataram feels surreal,” said the ‘Allah Ke Bande’ singer.
According to Arijit Dutta Chowdhury, Director, Indian Museum, the ‘Vande Mataram’ song is a whisper and a resounding call for unity, courage and freedom.
“This song is not a relic of the past but a living symbol of India’s spirit,” he said.