<p>By prescribing new protocols for the rendition of Vande Mataram, which stipulate singing of the entire composition, the Central government has sought to reduce the national song to political messaging. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s evocative lines have moved generations of Indians for more than a century, through the freedom struggle and since Independence. The original composition has six stanzas, of which two were adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national song. In January, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified, along with detailed instructions, all six stanzas as the national song and ordered that the full version be sung or played at public functions, and before the national anthem when both the songs are played.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in parliament last year that Jawaharlal Nehru dropped stanzas which referred to the motherland as a goddess, from Vande Mataram, under pressure from Jinnah and to appease Muslims. The decision was taken by the Congress party on the recommendation of Rabindranath Tagore; Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, and other leaders were parties to the decision. It was a move that respected the sensitivities of non-Hindus, particularly Muslims, who could not be asked to sing portions with Hindu religious imagery. The song has since been a symbol of India’s unity and inclusivity, dwelling at the meeting point of culture, history, and nationalism, and drawing its power from that oneness. Its deep resonances rise from its appeal to all people, irrespective of religion, race, language, etc., and as a national symbol, it has layers of meaning. It loses those dimensions when politics is injected into it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This is an election year in West Bengal, where Vande Mataram holds high emotive value. The rise in interest around the song may be driven by the prospects of electoral gains and polarising intent. There may also be an attempt to present Bankim Chandra as a counter to Tagore, the greatest icon of Bengal, who had a pluralistic and universal vision. National symbols are anchored in unity and consensus. The Ashoka pillar and the chakra, drawn from history, have many interpretations, even as they represent a single, but plural, national idea. The State cannot impose a single interpretation or symbolism on people. It should not make rendition of the full song a test of loyalty and allegiance to the nation, even when it is known that some sections of people have difficulties in relating to it. Political narratives that favour the revised protocols carry an element of force that stands in conflict with India’s constitutional tenets.</p>
<p>By prescribing new protocols for the rendition of Vande Mataram, which stipulate singing of the entire composition, the Central government has sought to reduce the national song to political messaging. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s evocative lines have moved generations of Indians for more than a century, through the freedom struggle and since Independence. The original composition has six stanzas, of which two were adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national song. In January, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified, along with detailed instructions, all six stanzas as the national song and ordered that the full version be sung or played at public functions, and before the national anthem when both the songs are played.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in parliament last year that Jawaharlal Nehru dropped stanzas which referred to the motherland as a goddess, from Vande Mataram, under pressure from Jinnah and to appease Muslims. The decision was taken by the Congress party on the recommendation of Rabindranath Tagore; Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, and other leaders were parties to the decision. It was a move that respected the sensitivities of non-Hindus, particularly Muslims, who could not be asked to sing portions with Hindu religious imagery. The song has since been a symbol of India’s unity and inclusivity, dwelling at the meeting point of culture, history, and nationalism, and drawing its power from that oneness. Its deep resonances rise from its appeal to all people, irrespective of religion, race, language, etc., and as a national symbol, it has layers of meaning. It loses those dimensions when politics is injected into it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This is an election year in West Bengal, where Vande Mataram holds high emotive value. The rise in interest around the song may be driven by the prospects of electoral gains and polarising intent. There may also be an attempt to present Bankim Chandra as a counter to Tagore, the greatest icon of Bengal, who had a pluralistic and universal vision. National symbols are anchored in unity and consensus. The Ashoka pillar and the chakra, drawn from history, have many interpretations, even as they represent a single, but plural, national idea. The State cannot impose a single interpretation or symbolism on people. It should not make rendition of the full song a test of loyalty and allegiance to the nation, even when it is known that some sections of people have difficulties in relating to it. Political narratives that favour the revised protocols carry an element of force that stands in conflict with India’s constitutional tenets.</p>
