NEW DELHI: Union Home minister Amit Shah initiated a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the 150th anniversary of India’s national song Vande Mataram, terming it an immortal symbol of patriotism which would continue to inspire generations, including India in 2047 when it aims to emerge as a fully developed nation.
Shah said Vande Mataram has never been confined to Bengal or electoral politics, declaring that it was sung wherever freedom fighters existed, even in secret meetings abroad. He added that soldiers and police personnel who lay down their lives for the nation still do so with Vande Mataram on their lips.
Shah recalled that the song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and first made public in 1875, became a unifying force of the freedom movement despite attempts by colonial authorities to ban it. According to him, it revived civilisational pride during a period when the cultural, educational and spiritual institutions of India were being systematically dismantled.
Shah pointed out that national icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Maharshi Aurobindo, and several freedom fighters gave the song its place in India’s Independence movement. On January 24, 1950, Vande Mataram was declared the national song during the final meeting of the Constituent Assembly.
Shah, criticising the political resistance to its recitation, blamed appeasement politics, which, from the time of pre-Independence days, had weakened national unity and was even responsible for partition. He said that during the Emergency, even those who recited Vande Mataram were imprisoned.
Detailing the celebration plan of the govt, Shah said the Cabinet has granted approval to year-long national as well as global programmes that are marking the 150th anniversary with exhibitions, cultural shows, documentaries, commemorative stamps and coins, public screenings, nationwide broadcasts and mass singing events.
Shah said India is now in its Amrit Kaal, and Vande Mataram, which once ignited the struggle for freedom, will now serve as the rallying cry to make India a developed and culturally confident nation. He called upon every citizen, particularly the youth, to make the song a symbol of devotion, duty, and national pride.