HVK Archives: Unwilling to salute the nation (letter)
Unwilling to salute the nation (letter) - The Pioneer
Aman Lekhi, New Delhi
()
December 7, 1998
Title: Unwilling to salute the nation (letter)
Author: Aman Lekhi, New Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 7, 1998
There are some people like Bob Hope who are willing to lay an
egg for their country if they have to. There are others who will
not even sing their National Song. In a statement to the
Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950, President Rajendra
Prasad had said: "The song, Vande Mataram, which has played a
historic role in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be
honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status
with it." Dr Rajendra Prasad's statement was greeted with
applause. After the members had signed the Constitution, they
stood up and sang Vande Mataram.
During our freedom struggle opposition to Vande Mataram had come
from two quarters: The Muslim League and the British
colonialists. The Muslim League submitted the Pirpur Report.
The Raja of Pirpur was appointed chairman to collect information
about alleged offences against the Muslim community. This
Committee, which submitted its report on November 15, 1938,
listed singing of Vande Mataram and using the tricolour flag as
attacks on the rights of Muslims. The British made singing of
Vande Mataram a criminal offence.
Vande Mataram, however, was the anthem of the national movement.
It resounded in processions and was on the lips of
revolutionaries as they stepped on to the gallows. Vande Mataram
were magic words which galvanised the national consciousness.
The Congress later deleted all the stanzas of the original song
except the first two which, today, comprise our National Song.
These stanzas are a tribute to our country, making an
impassioned reference to its 'hurrying streams", orchard
gleams", and "moonlight dreams". Every Indian will feel inspired
by these stanzas. And. they do not contain any religious colour
whatsoever.
The only reason why Vande Mataram was not chosen as our National
Anthem was because Nehru thought the "real significance of the
National Anthem was more abroad than in the home country" and
that Vande Mataram "was not easily suitable for orchestras in
foreign countries". Not only is the logic skewed but the
statement was factually incorrect. Master Krishna Rao had shown
that Vande Mataram was not unsuited for band music.
Interestingly, the British Government, which imprisoned people
for singing Vande Mataram, had great respect for Jana Gana Mana
which was composed in honour of King George V. if a song
originally sung in honour of a British ruler can be adopted as
our National Anthem, what is the opposition to a song in praise
of one's own country? Are we going to perpetuate the attitude of
the Muslim League and the British in Independent India?
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