NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said that the alleged removal of “significant verses” from the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ in 1937 led to India’s partition. Addressing the event commemorating 150 years of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’, Prime Minister Modi further stated that “the same divisive mindset” continues to pose a significant challenge to the nation even today.
“In 1937, significant verses of ‘Vande Mataram’, the very essence of its spirit, were removed. Stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ were broken up. This removal sowed the seeds for the eventual partition of the country. Today’s generation needs to understand why such injustice was committed against this great mantra of nation-building. Because that same divisive mindset continues to pose a major challenge for the nation even today,” the Prime Minister said.
He emphasised that Vande Mataram has achieved “immortality” and remains relevant today. He highlighted the song’s role in India’s freedom struggle, noting that it was a rallying cry for revolutionaries and a symbol of national pride.
“We have to make this century India’s century. This capability exists in India, and it exists in 140 crore Indians. And for this, we will have to believe in ourselves,” he added.
The Prime Minister also underscored India’s unique perspective on the nation as a mother figure, citing the country’s Vedic traditions. He emphasised the importance of recognising the nation as a nurturing and protective force and praised the role of women in nation-building.
This comes after BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan accused the Congress party of deliberately altering the national song Vande Mataram, claiming that stanzas praising Ma Durga were removed in 1937 under Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership.
Kesavan alleged that this decision was made to appease certain communal groups, sparking debate about the song’s original form and intent. In a post on X, Kesavan claimed that only the first two stanzas were accepted by the Congress, omitting later verses that invoke Maa Durga, due to alleged communal considerations.
Prime Minister Modi further said that the Vande Bharat song has achieved “immortality” and is relevant in every era.
“Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore once said that Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandmath’ is not just a novel. It is a dream of an independent India. Every word written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, not Bankim Babu, had deep meaning. This song was created during the time of slavery, but it is not limited to that time… The Vande Bharat song is relevant in every era. It has attained immortality. One-fourth share of global GDP was held by India just a few centuries ago,” he said.
“In 1875, when Bankim Babu published ‘Vande Mataram’ in ‘Bang Darshan’, some people thought it was just a song. But in no time, ‘Vande Mataram’ became the voice of India’s freedom struggle. A voice that was on the tongue of every revolutionary, a voice that expressed the emotions of every Indian! When freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar, living outside Bharat, met each other, their greeting was always Vande Mataram. Many revolutionaries, even while standing on the gallows, said Vande Mataram,” the PM added.
PM Modi emphasised that in India, the nation is viewed as a mother figure, one who creates, nurtures, and if needed, becomes a destroyer to protect her children.
“For those who consider the nation as a geopolitical entity, the idea of viewing the nation as a mother might seem surprising. But India is different; in India, the mother is both the creator and the nurturer. And if a crisis befalls the child, the mother becomes the “destroyer” as well. Our Vedas have taught us that the nation is our mother and we are her children… We have worshipped our nation in this form since the Vedic period… The notion that a nation can be a mother can be surprising for those who view nations as geopolitical entities. But India is different. Here, a nation is also the one that gives birth and nurtures… She is also a destroyer if a child is in danger… Because of this emotion of considering the nation as mother and a form of Shakti, mahila shakti was forefront in building the nation…” the PM stated.
(with inputs from ANI)
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