Author: Sarat Chandra Mallick
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 24, 2006
The ongoing controversy over Vande Mataram
is an insult to our freedom movement and the nation as a whole. History is
replete with instances when the song enthused our freedom fighters besides
providing a common ground for equality of religions in our national life.
Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1876,
the song was incorporated in the novel, Anandamath, in 1882. The first occasion
when it was sung was at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress
in 1896. Rahamatullah M Sayani, president of that session, was not only a
leading advocate, but also the secretary of Anjuman-i-Islam. Rabindranath
Tagore composed the music of Vande Mataram for that historic session.
During the partition of Bengal in 1905, the
Bengal provincial conference of the year was held in Muslim-dominated Barisal
(now in Bangladesh) in August. A leading Muslim presided over the conference
and Vande Mataram was sung there. After the conference, the delegates marched
in a procession through the streets of Barisal, shouting Vande Mataram to
protest the partition of Bengal. Soon, it became a battle cry of Hindus and
Muslims alike. Then it was not considered a Hindu song, but a slogan against
imperialism and communalism.
Then came the 1906 Calcutta session of the
Indian National Congress. Dadabhai Naoroji came from England to preside over
the session, which was heralded by Vande Mataram.
Observing popular discussions on the contents
of the song, the Congress Working Committee appointed a sub-committee with
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel, Narendra Dev and Fazlul Haque to examine the song in consultation with
Rabindranath Tagore. It was found that the original song mentioned that the
population of India was only seven crore (sapta koti), despite the fact that
it had by that time reached 38 crore. Similarly, Goddess Durga was mentioned
in the song. It was, therefore, decided to use the first stanza as the National
Song.
Vande Mataram is free from regionalism, parochialism
and communalism. It was the first revolutionary song against foreign rule
in India. Every Indian should remember its historic importance, which reminds
us of the heroic deeds of our freedom fighters.
