Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday observed the 150th anniversary of the creation of the national song "Vande Mataram" with a grand programme at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
Addressing the gathering, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said the chant of "Vande Mataram" once united all Indians-irrespective of caste, creed, or religion-against British colonial rule. He alleged that the Congress party had "crippled this very spirit" through what he termed as "narrow-mindedness and appeasement politics."
Saikia stated that the words "Vande Mataram" embody divine energy and symbolise a sense of responsibility and duty towards the motherland. "From its inception 150 years ago to this day, and for eternity to come, the mantra 'Vande Mataram' will continue to represent India's valour, its philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), and the spiritual essence of Indian culture," he said.
Criticising the Congress, Saikia said the party had reduced "Vande Mataram" to only two stanzas and denied it the status of a national anthem, recognising it merely as a national song. "Congress failed to give due respect to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Vande Mataram," he added.
During the solemn occasion, over a thousand BJP karyakartas rendered the complete original song with devotion and artistic grace.
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