Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda
Credit: DH Photo
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday said Vande Mataram united Indians in the past and continues to unite them today.
He was speaking during the discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Rajya Sabha.
"Vande Mataram is a song that has inspired many generations of Indians. Even to this day, 150 years after it was first published, it moves us greatly," he said.
JD(S) suggested that to celebrate the 150 years, the song should be recorded in 150 different ways to pay a tribute to the freedom fighters.
"I would suggest that in the 150th year of the song, we should record 150 ways of singing Vande Mataram, in 150 different music traditions of this very rich and diverse nation. That will be a great tribute to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Rabindranath Tagore and our freedom fighters," he said.
"I am similarly moved when I hear the Kannada state song (nada geete) Jaya Bharatha Jananiye Tanujate. It was a song of Kuvempu that was adopted as the state song in Karnataka. Again, it is the rich soul of this song that has made it very special in the hearts of Kannadigas, " Gowda said.
"Bengali nationalism came to greatly influence Indian nationalism, and Vande Mataram was a powerful component of that nationalism that inspired the rest of India. Each state of India now has a state song which draws its spirit from Vande Mataram, " he said.
"Bharat Mata and Bhuvaneshwari became mother and daughter or sisters through this great song. That spirit united India and continues to unite India, " he said.