What is the recent Vande Mataram debate? Know more here

Vande Mataram, or ‘Bande Mataram’, is a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee during the 1870s. It was originally written in Sanskritised Bengali and first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875. Later, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee incorporated the hymn in his immortal novel 'Anandamath', which was published in 1882. Vande Mataram, which translates to “Mother, I Bow to Thee”. 

Origin of the Song 

• Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote this song when he was still a government official around 1876; he was significantly influenced by the Revolt of 1857 and the Sanyasi Rebellion. He wrote Vande Mataram at Chinsura (Chuchura) near the Hooghly River in West Bengal. He wrote the poem in a spontaneous session using words from Sanskrit and Bengali (called Sanskritised Bengali).

• The song "Vande Mataram" appeared as a standalone composition in the March-April 1881 issue of Bangadarshan, edited by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

• It was first published in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's book Anandamath in 1882. Which was based on the events of the Sannyasi Rebellion. 

• The song was corroborated by a passage in the English daily Bande Mataram written by Sri Aurobindo on 16 April 1907, stating that it was thirty-two years ago that Bankim composed his renowned song. 

• In 1907, Madam Bhikaji Cama raised the tricolour flag for the first time outside India in Stuttgart, Berlin. The words 'Vande Mataram' were written on the flag.

Source: Wikipedia 

What is the significance of the song during the National Independence?

• Vande Mataram was sung at the 1896 Calcutta session of the Congress by Rabindranath Tagore.

• 'Vande Mataram' was first used as a political slogan on August 7, 1905, during the Anti-Partition and the Swadeshi movements in Bengal.

• In 1905, at the Varanasi Session of the Indian National Congress, the song 'Vande Mataram' was adopted for all-India occasions.

• Vande Mataram was also sung by Bande Mataram Sampradaya in the Prabhat Pheris during the partition of Bengal to promote the concept of the Motherland as a mission.

• On 20 May 1906, in Barisal (now in Bangladesh), over ten thousand participants, both Hindus and Muslims, marched through the main streets carrying Vande Mataram flags to spread the message of self-reliance, unity, and political consciousness.

• In August 1906, an English daily titled Bande Mataram was launched under the editorship of Bipin Chandra Pal, with Sri Aurobindo later joining as joint editor.

• On 27 February 1908, Coral Mills in Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) went on strike. They marched through the streets chanting 'Vande Mataram' as a mark of protest and patriotism.

• In June 1908, thousands gathered outside the Bombay police court during Lokmanya Tilak’s trial, singing Vande Mataram in a powerful display of solidarity.

 Impact on Indian Revolutionaries Abroad

• In 1907, Madam Bhikaji Cama raised the tricolour flag for the first time outside India in Stuttgart, Berlin. The words 'Vande Mataram' were written on the flag.

• On 17 August 1909, when Madan Lal Dhingra was hanged in England, his last words before he went to the gallows were “Bande Mataram”.

• In 1909, Indian patriots in Paris undertook the publication of a magazine called Bande Mataram from Geneva.

• In October 1912, when Gopal Krishna Gokhale arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, he was welcomed by a grand procession accompanied by cries of 'Vande Mataram'.

What is the constitutional status of the song in the post-independence era? 

Both Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram are national symbols adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 by absolute unanimity

Dr Rajendra Prasad addressed the Constituent Assembly, stating that Vande Mataram, due to its significant role in the freedom movement, should have the same status as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and would be honoured equally as the National Song.

The constitution of India does not explicitly mention Vande Mataram as the national song. However, Article 51A(a) of the Indian Constitution asks citizens to respect the Constitution, National Flag and National Anthem. 

What are the reasons behind the recent debate on the Vande Mataram song?

A current issue came to the limelight at the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian National Congress omitted the essential stanzas from the original song at its 1937 session in Faizabad. PM Modi remarked that the Congress's "decisive mindset", which was based on Rabindranath Tagore's teachings, eventually "sowed the seeds" of Partition by accommodating the feelings of people from various communities and faiths. 

What are the important stanzas of Vande Mataram dropped during the Indian national session of 1937?  

The original poem was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, from which the national song was adopted by the Constitutional Assembly on January 24, 1950, which included six stanzas, with the later verses referencing Hindu goddesses such as Lakshmi and Durga. In the 1937 Faizabad session of the Indian National Congress, only the first two stanzas of the poem were adopted for public use.

The commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram underscores the song’s profound historical and cultural significance in the evolution of India’s national identity, emerging from the intellectual and literary milieu of the late 19th century, literary origins to become a potent symbol of anti-colonial resistance and collective aspiration. The present observance not only reaffirms the enduring relevance of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s vision but also invites renewed reflection on the song’s role in shaping the discourse of nationalism, unity, and cultural self-awareness in modern India.