Vande Mataram at 150: Modi’s Lok Sabha speech revives the national song that challenged British rule and united Bengal
Read more: How Vande Mataram, a 19th-century poem, became India’s national song
He said the moment was special because the country is currently observing many important milestones such as the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda and the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur. According to him, the completion of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram adds important national celebrations to this period.
Modi described Vande Mataram as a mantra and slogan that fuels the freedom struggle with energy, inspiration, sacrifice and penance.
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He said it was a matter of pride for the nation to witness this milestone and stressed that the House remembered the hymn that awakened generations to fight for independence.
The Prime Minister thanked all Members of Parliament for participating en masse in the debate and said this reflected respect for the sacrifices made by those who fought under the banner of Vande Mataram.
The House of Representatives reminded that when Vande Mataram completed 50 years, the country was still under colonial rule, and when it completed 100 years, the country was under a State of Emergency. He said that today, 150 years later, India freely celebrates this mantra in Parliament, a contrast that symbolizes how far the country has come.
“We are sitting here because thousands of people chanted Vande Mataram slogan and fought for independence,” Modi said.
Explaining the origins of the patriotic song, Modi said that when Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote Vande Mataram, this song became the natural voice of the freedom movement and the conscience of every Indian.
Reflecting on its origins, Bankim said when Chandra Chatterjee wrote: Vande MataramHe became the natural voice of the freedom movement and the conscience of every Indian.
He added: “Vande Mataram It was not just a mantra for political independence. It was much bigger than that. Freedom was the war to free our homeland from the chains of slavery.
In our Vedic tradition it is said, ‘This land is my mother and I am the son of the soil.’ Shri Ram expressed the same sentiment when he gave up Lanka: United States of America. Vande Mataram it is the modern incarnation of this ancient cultural heritage.”
He noted that during the British rule, when the government committed all kinds of atrocities and pushed God Save the Queen into every Indian home as a national song, Bankim Da’s Vande Mataram stood up to challenge this domination. It turned into a cultural and spiritual resistance that united people against foreign rule.
While translating the idea of ’Bharat Mata’, Modi said she is the goddess of knowledge and prosperity, but she also becomes the fierce, powerful and invincible Chandi in front of her enemies.
He placed this description in the context of Vande Mataram, emphasizing that the song conveys both devotion and strength, encouraging patriotism and courage during the struggle for freedom.
Modi also stated that the British realized that it would not be easy to rule India after 1857. Later, he said, they adopted the strategy of divide and rule, using Bengal as an experimental ground, at a time when Bengal’s intellectual prowess was guiding the nation.
