Vande Mataram

Back when I was a kid, waking everyday to the tunes of the first song played on the national TV … “Vande Mataram” evoked a very special feeling in my little proud chest. Little did I know that this feeling is the basic sense of belonging to a larger entity, and is labeled as “Patriotism”. As I grew up, I learnt more of the song and its poignant history. The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1876. It later appeared in a book titled “Anandamatha”. The song, thought largely related to the Hindu Goddess Mother Kaali, adapted itself well to the Indian scenario of the freedom struggle. The song conjured such strong passionate fervor, that the then British Raj, beginning to fear its forceful effect on the suppressed people, decided to ban it. (and they did!) The ban was fuel to the fire. Vande Mataram soon acquired the unquestionable status of a freedom struggle insignia. However, when the Indian independence was won and the question arose over the choice of a national anthem, there were split opinions stating that as Vande Mataram had a Hindu origin (though only the first two stanza was proposed to be part of the national anthem then) it would fail to address a large part of a secular India. And hence, Jana Gana Mana was crowned the National Anthem title.

But the story doesn’t end there. Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding over the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:

"The composition consisting of words and music known as 'Jana Gana Mana' is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations as the Government may authorize as occasion arises, and the song 'Vande Mataram' which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it." (Constituent Assembly of India, Vol.XII, 24-1-1950)

Here is the English translation of the song as given by Sri Aurobindo:

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

I see no religion in these words … but a pristine love gilded and held dear for all to share and feel the same towards the mother land. It pains to see that today, after so many long scored years this very same sweet song pulls over a great nation a fog of difference in opinion. Why should anyone feel threatened or belittled to sing a national song which was proclaimed by our forefathers as a benign float that carried them to freedom? Where did religion enter anyway? What is all the fuss about today? Is the fuss simply because it was made mandatory to sing it on the song’s centenary day or was it because BJP jumped in with all fervor. A large number of minority communities are planning to ask their people to boycott institutions of education on the 7^th of September just to avoid singing this national song. I was so shocked to read these words:

"Any attempt to force the singing of Vande Mataram will be uncivilised and an affront to the secular character of our polity and will also not be tolerated by Muslims," The Indian Union Muslim League president G M Banatwala said in a press release.

“Vande Mataram has been consistently and conscientiously held as idolatrous by Muslims. It also has an anti-Muslim and objectionable background. Muslims cannot sing it," he said.

How can the children of this nation have seeded in their mind such bitter seeds of factionist tilting? When the people at large are looking forward to a bright and shinning tomorrow, how can a few narrow minds play dark roles in planting walls that would in time build fortresses marring the prospects of a utopian future? It is puzzling as to why people don’t think on their own and rather choose to be fed on stronger colored thoughts and ideas of others. Perhaps the third wave phenomenon has an undeniable force that needs reckoning with.

On the other hand, it is heartening to note that there are still sensible men belonging to the same so called minority community airing opposing and thought provoking views:

"All students studying in madrassas are Indian citizens," Madhya Pradesh Madrassa Board chairman S K Muddin told TOI. "And every citizen should sing the country's national song with pride. I have instructed all madrassas to have our students sing Vande Mataram when students of every school and college will sing the song. Vande Mataram means 'Ei Matare Watan Tujhko Salaam'. It's a salute to the nation and we will along with every other citizen of this country salute our motherland."
"There is nothing wrong with praying for our motherland. Vande Mataram is a 'salaam' (salute) not a 'naman' or 'ibadat' (worship). If we were asked to worship then it would be unIslamic. Or even if we were asked to do 'sajida' which is the act of bowing while we read namaz. This is not 'sajida', this is a prayer for the welfare of the nation."

Some where the understanding and the tolerance level in us has been eroding all along. Instead of moving as one mass, we have chosen to settle in smaller globules of functional entities putting between us growing distances in the way we think and make our lives. Why can not every Hindu think like Mahatma Gandhi? Why can’t every Muslim think like our Honorable President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam? India is a young and growing nation. It is strongly believed by many of the world thinkers of the day that this century belongs to India as the last one belonged to the United States of America. We have a greater task at hand… we need to have these smaller dirt debris eliminated from our paths to make a dream of future India come true, hand in hand, as one nation … not as a majority or minority community. This is not a question of religion, politics or fascism. This is a debt we need to pay back … to put our motherland on the higher citadel of glory and grandeur.