Barpeta: In a celebratory moment, MP Bhubaneswar Kalita held a press conference at the BJP office in the district to mark 150 years of the patriotic song Vande Mataram. The event was organised to celebrate the song that once echoed as the heartbeat of India's struggle for independence.
Addressing the media, the MP stated, “Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, is a lyrical Sanskrit-Bengali blend that is full of praise for the virtues and glories of the motherland.”
Further he talks about the song attaining popularity after its inclusion in Chattopadhyaya's novel Anandamath in 1882. Afterwards, the song was adopted as a rallying cry during the Swadeshi movement and against the partition of Bengal in 1905. He said, “It echoed across streets and gatherings as a symbol of unity and resistance.”
However, Vande Mataram's journey into the future was not without its controversies. He also said, “At the 1923 session of Congress in Kakinada, during the presidential tenure of Maulana Mohammad Ali, an objection to the singing of the song on religious grounds led to a debate.”
Subsequently, the Congress, acting upon the advice of Jawaharlal Nehru along with other significant members, decided to accept only the first two stanzas of the song to preserve communal harmony within the movement. Later, in the Constituent Assembly, Vande Mataram was accorded the status of the national song of India, a status different from that of the national anthem, on January 24, 1950.
As MP Bhubaneswar Kalita said during the commemoration, “The song continues to inspire every Indian with its message of devotion, sacrifice, and unity-150 years since it was penned.”