Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a powerful tone for the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday, launching a pointed critique of the Congress during a special Lok Sabha debate marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The 10-hour session focused on the patriotic song’s enduring legacy while sharply questioning the historical decisions tied to India’s Partition.
Describing Vande Mataram as the “emotional and ideological backbone” of India’s freedom struggle, PM Modi immediately challenged the nation: “If Vande Mataram was so popular, why was injustice meted out to it? Why was it betrayed?”
Directly targeting the Congress, he stated, “On October 26, 1937, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and broke it into pieces. In Bankim Chandra’s Bengal, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram at the Kolkata session in 1937. Congress kneeled before the Muslim League by sidelining Vande Mataram, which led to the tragedy of Partition.”
PM Modi asserted that this compromise was a deliberate attempt to “appease certain sections,” disrespecting the song that “gave strength and direction to our freedom movement” and ultimately “sowed the seeds of India’s partition.”
The Prime Minister recalled the British colonial era efforts to suppress Indian unity by promoting “God Save the Queen” and banning Vande Mataram due to its unifying power. He further claimed that when then-Congress president Jawaharlal Nehru “saw his throne shaking,” he “tore Vande Mataram into pieces,” alluding to political concessions made in the face of Muslim League opposition. Modi also noted that Muhammad Ali Jinnah raised slogans against Vande Mataram from Lucknow on October 15, 1937.
Highlighting the cultural significance of the song, PM Modi said, “When we say Vande Mataram, it reminds us of Ved Kaal — this land is my mother, and I am a son of this land.” He cited Mahatma Gandhi’s 1905 observation that Vande Mataram had become so popular that it had emerged as a national anthem.
The Prime Minister questioned, “What were those forces so powerful that they overruled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi on Vande Mataram?” calling on the nation to confront these uncomfortable historical truths.
Tracing the song’s origins, PM Modi said, “In Bankim da’s Bengal, at a time when it had become fashionable to demean India, Vande Mataram emerged as a powerful force that restored pride and ideological clarity to the nation.”
Further, PM Modi linked the legacy of Vande Mataram beyond India’s independence struggle, referencing its spirit of defiance during the Emergency era. “Vande Mataram was not just a song. It was the war cry of India’s freedom fighters. It carried the cultural energy of thousands of years and the vision of an independent India,” he said.
Winding up, PM Modi urged the country to revive the song’s historic glory on its 150th anniversary. “Now at 150 years, it is a good opportunity to restore the glory of Vande Mataram that won us freedom in 1947,” he declared, framing the moment as a national call to honour the true spirit of this enduring anthem.