Author: Chandan Mitra
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: September 10, 2006
Most lovers of Vande Mataram are upset, even
agitated, about the controversy that followed a Government circular urging
all schools to observe September 7 as Vande Mataram Day. Although the controversy
was unnecessary, misplaced and occasionally mischievous, I am personally not
unhappy that the issue kicked up a whole lot of dust. In retrospect, it seems
to me that the fallout of the debate was actually beneficial to the extent
it brought many latent issues to the fore, exposed the monumental ignorance
of several participants in the dispute and, finally, gave a fillip to the
nationalist cause. It was especially gratifying that despite the frenzied
efforts of a section of secular fundamentalists and religious bigots, the
strains of Vande Mataram reverberated across this vast country, rekindling
the flame of nationalism among the multitudes. As regular readers of The Pioneer
spanning Delhi, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Kerala, apart from our countless
website subscribers know, we as an organisation celebrated Vande Mataram Day
in a befitting manner through a function in which all units of the burgeoning
Pioneer Group participated.
In the course of the controversy, people made
remarks that were not only ignorant but also downright stupid, underlining
the need to adequately educate our post-Independence generations of both past
and contemporary realities. The banal and inaccurate observations of TV anchors
and discussants on the small screen were truly appalling. One senior Congress
worthy, for instance, claimed that the BJP had no business championing the
song's cause because the RSS never sings it! In fact, quite to the contrary,
Vande Mataram is rendered in full at all RSS functions. Another pro-Congress
mediaperson went to the other extreme to object to the BJP singing the full
version at its Dehradun conclave last week, not knowing all BJP meetings routinely
start with the song's rendition in full. Besides, the decision to sing only
the first two stanzas was taken by the Constituent Assembly in keeping with
the Congress's resolve to exclude the last two stanzas in 1937 till which
time it was always rendered in full. But that does not mean that Vande Mataram
has been censored and the last two stanzas excised from the text. Its rendition
in full, therefore, is not banned in law.
Arguably, however, the September 7 date for
its observance may remain shrouded in some mystery for, as a prominent historian
argued in a newspaper article, the Congress always held its annual session
in December. But, this is not really germane to the controversy; quite possibly,
it was in September 1937 that the party high command finalised its recommendation
that only the first two stanzas be sung, in view of protests from certain
separatist Muslim leaders like MA Jinnah. Interestingly, till that time all
Muslim Congressmen happily participated in the collective rendition of the
song that became the main nationalist mantra during the agitation against
the partition of Bengal in 1905-06.
I was also distressed by the fervent attempt
to whitewash the context in which the song was originally penned and later
incorporated in Ananda Math by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. During the recent
debate, it was repeatedly argued that Bankim Chandra was forced to twist the
conclusion of his novel, condemn the rapacity of Muslim rulers while extolling
British rule because he was a serving officer under the British administration.
This "politically correct" interpretation is probably farthest from
the truth. It is a fact that after the decline of the Mughal Empire, Muslim
warlords ravaged the country, exploiting peasants and dealing with resistance
in brutal ways. The Sanyasi Uprising in Bengal, like similar movements in
other parts of India in the 18th Century, was provoked by the ruthless cruelty
of petty Muslim chieftains. No historical purpose is served by denying this
reality as also the fact that the onset of British rule resulted in a degree
of order and restored the authority of the rule of law. Howsoever exploitative
the East India Company's regime may have been, it was an improvement upon
the immediate past. There is nothing "communal" about acknowledging
this fact.
When empires broke up, it was customary for
remnants of erstwhile imperial armies to plunder and kill. This happened with
the Marathas too after their defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat. I recall
a Bengali nursery rhyme, "Khoka ghumalo, para judalo, Bargee elo deshey/
Bulbulite dhaan kheyechhe, khajna debo kishey (The crying baby has finally
gone to sleep and quiet has descended on the locality, but I still worry because
Burgees have arrived and I don't know how to meet their tax demand for birds
have devoured the crop). Burgee being colloquial shorthand for Maratha 'dacoits'
it is easy to see the undercurrent of resentment against exploitation by marauding
groups of disbanded soldiers. In a bid to sanitise history, misguided Marxist
pseudo-scholars are now busy in exorcising "uncomfortable" facts
from textbooks and even Aurangzeb is nowadays praised for his sagacity, frugality
and, believe it or not, sense of justice! The effort to re-interpret Ananda
Math and apologise for its pro-British theme is of a piece with this disgraceful
conspiracy to rewrite history. This is not to suggest that Bankim Chandra
may have been genuinely anti-Muslim; all I wish to point out is that he reflected
a historical reality, which should not be offloaded from the national discourse.
Finally, I am happy that the controversy has
helped revive public interest in what is probably the most stirring ode ever
composed in honour of the Motherland anywhere in the world. Neo-literates
who dominate our TV channels, kept berating the song's supporters by asking
whether they knew the full song or understood the meaning of its complex textual
structure, only exposed their own ignorance of their respective mother tongues.
Since most major Indian languages (barring Tamil) are derived from Sanskrit,
it is not at all difficult to fathom the meaning of phrases such as shubhra
jyotsna pulakit yamini. Surely anybody with a modicum of common sense can
understand each of these four words since they are all used as names. In fact,
it may be a bit difficult to figure out some Bengali words in the line "Abala
keno Maa eto boley? (Why then do they call you inarticulate/helpless?)"
I sincerely hope that the revived interest
in the National Song will lead to its being appropriately dissected and meaning
explained to the younger generation. Once that happens, I am sure even the
so-called Muslim objection will vanish. However, I don't expect persons who
regard India merely as their adoptive home, irrespective of the fact that
they currently rule over it, to ever appreciate Vande Mataram, leave alone
participate in its collective rendition. The VVIP who abstained from the celebration
at 26 Akbar Road on September 7 belongs to this category.
