Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about the enduring importance of Vande Mataram in India’s history and freedom struggle.
Addressing the Lok Sabha discussion on the 150th anniversary of India’s national song, Singh said, “Vande Mataram was not limited to Bengal; it was used from east to west, and even outside India, people chanted it. The song is complete in itself, but attempts were made to make it incomplete. It is the demand of the time to return Vande Mataram to its glory.”
Further adding that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opposed the song, calling it ‘communal’ and promoting appeasement politics.
Song Didnt Get Enough Justice
He added that the song had been sidelined post-Independence and “did not get the justice it deserved.” Singh also highlighted historical acts of defiance, noting, “In April 1906, the British government imposed a ban on the public chanting of Vande Mataram. People openly defied this order. Similarly, at Osmania University, chanting Vande Mataram was prohibited. To oppose this, a student named Sri Ram Chandra was imprisoned.”
Muslims Didn’t Understand Metaphors
Singh further remarked on the interpretation of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s metaphors, saying they were often misread, both unintentionally and deliberately, while clarifying, “This is not to say that our Muslim brothers did not understand these ‘metaphors’.” He concluded, “The justice that should have been done with Vande Mataram was not done… Vande Mataram was marginalised, it was treated like an extra.”
Earlier, Priyanka Gandhi, during her speech on Vande Mataram, hyped on the Congress party’s focus on the nation over political gains. She said, “You (BJP) are for the elections, we are for the country. No matter how many elections we lose, we will sit here and keep fighting you and your ideology. We will keep fighting for our country. You cannot stop us.”
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