Nation to celebrate 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ with yearlong programmes

A CORRESPONDENT 

JORHAT: Along with the rest of the nation, the full version of India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’ will be sung in public places in Jorhat at about 9.50 am to commemorate 150 years of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s patriotic song composed in Sanskrit in his novel Anandamath in 1875.

Addressing a press meet here on Thursday, MP Rameswar Teli said that the full version of the song would be sung or played during official meetings and other important congregations of the government during the yearlong celebrations starting from Friday. He further said that the full version of the song would be promoted in schools and colleges through awareness and other programmes. 

Speaking about the history of the song, he said that it was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and recited by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896 in Kolkata and by the time Bengal was partitioned in 1905, the poem was set to the classical raag Desh Malhar and became popular as a marching song.

“The first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, granted ‘Vande Mataram’ the status of the national song in 1950,” he added.

Teli said that during the nationwide protests against partition, ‘Vande Mataram’ gained political momentum and became a stirring symbol of nationalism, unity, and resistance against the British Raj and the slogan, ‘Vande Mataram,’ was banned by the British authorities.

 ’Vande Mataram’ was the unifying slogan for the Swadeshi Movement and revolutionaries like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh & Subhash Chandra Bose,” the MP stated.

Also Read: 150 Years of 'Vande Mataram': MP Bhubaneswar Kalita Leads Celebration in Barpeta